Citizens in Gurgaon are driving impactful, campaign-led initiatives and championing various causes. Mostly led by volunteering group, these initiatives make representations and social media campaigns to promote awareness on crucial issues, and influence policy decisions. Here is a list of active citizen initiatives in Gurgaon…read up about these initiatives, join their social media campaigns and support them.
Aravalli Bachao Andolan
The Aravalli Bachao Andolan (ABA) is a citizen-led movement that protests against activities that threaten the Aravallis, one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges. The Aravallis stretch for about 700 km across four states in northwest India, from Gujarat to Delhi. The movement aims to protect the Aravallis from mining, real estate, illegal encroachments, dilution of protective laws, toxic landfills, waste-to-energy plants, and other activities. The group’s demand is for the entire 700 km Aravalli range to be seen as one living ecosystem and declared a permanent biosphere reserve so North West India’s climate regulator, shield against desertification, critical water recharge zone, biodiversity hotspot and wildlife corridor can be protected for future generations.
Gurgaon Water Forum
Gurgaon Water Forum (GWF) is an interactive multi-stakeholder platform deliberating on the challenges of improving water availability, equitable access to drinking water, disposal, treatment and use of waste water. It also looks into aspects of urban flooding and planning and governance of clean drinking water. It aims to work towards the development of collective practical strategies for improvement of water systems through workshops, advocacy and wider consultation with various groups of people, institutions, public agencies, NGOs, Resident Welfare Associations, workers’ organizations, marginalized communities, policy makers, planners, activists and environmental groups, etc. Among other things, it has conducted situational analysis of water sector in three urban villages of Gurgaon.
NCR Waste Matters
NCR Waste Matters is a community within Delhi NCR dedicated to sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices for sustainable waste management. Operating under the motto “our waste is our responsibility,” the group focuses on topics such as waste segregation, recycling, composting, and solid waste management and emphasises local action for meaningful change. Individuals can engage with the community by posting on its public Facebook page, which has a membership of 2.8K members.
Gurgaon Citizen Council
This citizen body has been bringing the citizens and RWAs under a common umbrella and pursuing matters relating to civic amenities such as electricity, water, transport, roads, traffic, law and order etc. GCC played a major role in reducing tax rates, by reducing the burden of dual taxes paid by the citizens in the form of maintenance charges to private developers and property tax to MCG. It runs legal-aid and medical clinics to provide free services to residents of the city. It has made sustained campaigns to remove tolling at Sirhaul toll plaza on NH* and banning use of groundwater by builders.
Why waste your waste
Why waste your waste is a citizen’s outreach initiative against reckless disposal of waste materials and the need for sustainable waste management. The initiative aims to understand why waste is not really waste, but can be reclaimed to provide economic and environmental benefits. Under this initiative, waste segregation at source is encouraged. Illegal waste burning is also reported. It has been successful in expediting key notifications by Gurgaon authorities on waste burning and C&D waste.