Gurgaon: The civic corporation claims to have lifted over 1,800 metric tonnes of garbage from the citys roads in the last two days as part of its cleanliness drive, but on ground zero, no significant change has been witnessed, residents said.Although garbage mounds have been cleared from many areas, several areas visited by TOI on Sunday still had waste strewn along the roads owing to sanitation workers ongoing strike.Under the seven-day mega cleanliness drive, which began on Saturday, solid waste, construction and demolition (C&D) waste, and horticulture waste is being lifted by the MCG. A total of 52 teams with around 30 members each, including officials from both MCG and GMDA, have been formed for the campaign.According to the MCG, 800 metric tonnes of garbage was collected on Saturday and 1,050 metric tonnes was disposed of on Sunday. Similarly, 1,700 tonnes of C&D waste and 180 trolleys of horticulture were collected from various spots in the last two days.However, several areas — including Wazirabad Chowk, Old Railway Road, Caterpuri road, Old DLF Colony road, Dundahera, sectors 4, 5 and 7, Ashok Vihar and Ardee City — still have garbage mounds lying around the roadside. Furthermore, even the areas where the garbage had been collected and transported to Bandhwari were reportedly not swept properly later on.Residents have demanded that MCG involve RWAs in the drive and take satisfaction certificates from them only after cleaning is done properly. We are willing to lend our help to the MCG, but it should not be a superficial or mere photo op, said Chaitali Mandhotra, RWA member, Ardee City.According to a senior MCG official, they have prioritized collection of garbage in the first two days of the drive. Most of the garbage has been lifted over the past two days, while area-wise sweeping has been carried out by sanitation employees, the official said.Meanwhile, the sanitation staff, who have been on strike for the last 53 days, have intensified their protest and decided to start a hunger strike from Monday.We also published the following articles recentlyWaste mounds lining roads to be cleared in 7 days, says MCG chiefThe Gurgaon Municipal Corporation (MCG) and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) have announced a seven-day mega cleanliness drive starting Saturday to clear the mounds of garbage accumulated across the city. The MCG will form area-wise dedicated teams with officials from both departments to ensure the lifting of solid waste, construction and demolition waste, and horticulture waste. A total of 52 teams with around 30 members each will be deployed, and senior officials will conduct inspections. Residents can file complaints through dedicated WhatsApp numbers. Strict action will be taken against any negligence in waste clearance.US government may have been spying on citizens with AT&T, claims reportThe US government has reportedly been spying on its citizens for years, with telecom carrier AT&T in on this program. According to a report in Wired, a lesser-known surveillance initiative, the Data Analytical Services (DAS) program has been used to track over a trillion domestic phone records annually within the United States. This program is said to have enabled federal, state, and local law enforcement to scrutinise the phone data of countless Americans, including non-suspects and victims, for more than a decade. Leaked documents reveal that the White House has allocated over $6.1 million in funding for the DAS program since 2013.To prevent bird strike, airport encourages cleanliness driveThe Mumbai airport has commissioned a green social enterprise to counsel slum dwellers on sanitation in an effort to reduce bird strikes. The Adani Group, which operates the airport, has brought in a waste management enterprise to work with the Andheri-Kurla settlements and address the issue of open garbage attracting scavenger birds. The goal is to replace open garbage dumps with facilities like cricket pitches or playgrounds to prevent birds from circling. The airport is engaging with the community to ensure aircraft safety and protect the surrounding areas.

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