7 officials penalised ₹5K for Bandhwari landfill fire

Gurugram penalizes 7 SDOs for absent during landfill fire; fined ₹5000 each. Biometric attendance to be installed for better monitoring.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram has penalised seven sub-divisional officers (SDOs) responsible for maintaining vigilance at the Bhandhwari landfill for remaining absent when a massive fire broke out at the site, officials aware of the matter said.

MCG officials said the fire was reported on June 1 and it took around 20 fire tenders to douse it. According to officials, the SDOs responsible for manning the landfill were not present at the site and did not alert authorities in time about the fire. “The locals informed MCG officials regarding the incident. We found none of the officials were present at the spot and were unaware of the fire. We have penalised them with ₹5000, which will be deducted from their salaries,” said Dr Balpreet Singh, additional MCG Commissioner.

Singh said SDOs RK Mongia, Hari Prakash, Naim Hussian, Ashish Hooda, Krishan Kumar, Yatinder and Wasim Akram were penalised. “They have been asked to respond to the notice within two days. Any negligence during duty will not be tolerated. All officials responsible will be penalised,” he added.

The order, a copy of which HT has seen, highlighted how the fire broke out on June 1 (Saturday) in the landfill and the SDOs did not report for duty during designated hours.

The additional commissioner said they have ordered the installation of a biometric attendance system at the landfill site to ensure the presence of officers and staff for effective monitoring to prevent fires. “A biometric attendance system should be installed immediately at the Bandhwari site so that strict action can be taken against the officers who have not been turning up for their duty,” he added.

The Bandhwari landfill has long been a critical issue for the city, with frequent fires causing severe environmental and health hazards. The landfill, which handles a significant portion of the city’s waste, has been infamous for improper management and lack of oversight.

MCG in May informed the National Green Tribunal that it will process 1,636,000 metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste at Bandhwari landfill by December 31. The new deadline suggests an extension of the corporation’s previous commitment of completing it by June.

According to the affidavit submitted by the corporation on May 14, sanitation agencies working at Bandhwari have already processed 900,000 MT of legacy waste between January 1 and May 13.