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Gurugram's luxury towers reek as Bengali-speaking sanitation workers disappear overnight
At the heart of this crisis is the abrupt disappearance of hundreds of Bengali-speaking migrant workers, many of whom have long served as the city’s domestic help and sanitation staff.
any workers — some who have lived and worked in Gurugram for years — are believed to have fled out of fear.
A sudden and unsettling garbage crisis has gripped Gurugram, turning its upscale neighbourhoods into veritable dump yards. According to a Hindustan Times report, piles of uncollected trash now spill across areas once known for their cleanliness — from Palam Vihar and Sector 57 to Golf Course Extension Road and newer high-rise clusters.
At the heart of this crisis is the abrupt disappearance of hundreds of Bengali-speaking migrant workers, many of whom have long served as the city’s domestic help and sanitation staff. Their sudden flight has left residents and municipal officials in disarray, as waste collection systems collapse without the workforce that once powered them.
The exodus reportedly follows a recent police drive involving random ID checks, detentions, and alleged deportation threats. Many workers — some who have lived and worked in Gurugram for years — are believed to have fled out of fear. Some families claim their relatives were detained and put on trains to Assam, with little to no time to retrieve Aadhaar cards or notify anyone.
Between July 13 and 21, nearly 100 individuals, mostly sanitation workers and domestic help, were allegedly picked up. While some were released, others were reportedly coerced into leaving the city altogether.
In the absence of trained personnel, housing societies have resorted to hiring tractor trolleys to move garbage. But without proper segregation or waste management systems in place, this has only led to unsafe and unsanitary dumping practices.
Residents now argue that many of these workers are Indian citizens — integral to the city’s service ecosystem — who are being targeted for their language and regional identity. With no clear plan in place, Gurugram's civic infrastructure teeters on the brink, stifled by fear, mismanagement, and a vanishing workforce.
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