Bandhwari Landfill to be cleared in 10 months: Haryana ULB minister

Bandhwari will not remain a symbol of garbage. With plantation, view cutters, and aggressive waste clearance, we are determined to transform it into a green zone,” Goel said.

Haryana Urban Local Bodies (ULB) minister Vipul Goel on Saturday visited Bandhwari Landfill and said that the state government’s priority is to clear the legacy waste mound at Bandhwari within the next 8 to 10 months, said officials adding that he was addressing a gathering during a tree plantation drive held at the Bandhwari waste management site along the Gurugram–Faridabad Road.

Haryana ULB minister Vipul Goel visit the waste treatment plant at Gurugram-Faridabad on Saturday. (HT Photo)

Goel said that the goal was achievable given the fresh momentum and monitoring being put in place. “Bandhwari will not remain a symbol of garbage. With plantation, view cutters, and aggressive waste clearance, we are determined to transform it into a green zone,” Goel said.

Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said that after earlier attempts failed, MCG has now floated three fresh tenders of five lakh metric tonnes (MT) each to process and dispose of legacy waste. In total, tenders for 15 lakh MT have been announced.

“The condition for the bidders is clear—two months for mobilisation and ten months of operational time. This can be easily achieved. Enforcement has been increased threefold to ensure compliance and timely progress,” Dahiya said.

The directorate of ULB has already granted administrative approval for the ₹89.9 crore project to remediate 14 lakh tonnes of legacy waste at Bandhwari. The move, approved by chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, comes with strict instructions to MCG.

According to the approval letter issued on August 27, payments to agencies will be based solely on the quantity of processed fractions of waste after treatment, not on estimates. Moreover, refuse-derived fuel (RDF) generated must be supplied to industries in line with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) guidelines. Agencies must also provide declarations confirming that no processed fractions are dumped unscientifically within or outside municipal limits.

The letter further noted that if a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) solid waste management project is implemented in Gurugram, responsibility for handling the remaining legacy waste will shift to the concessionaire.

Officials said bidders awarded the work will be responsible for clearing the entire site, even if waste exceeds 14 lakh MT, without additional payment. “The work must be completed within the timeline mandated by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Any deviation or negligence during evaluation or execution will make the municipal authority fully accountable,” the ULB letter stated.

The urgency comes after MCG recently terminated the contracts of two agencies that were earlier tasked with processing 14 lakh MT but missed deadlines due to slow progress. In its latest affidavit to NGT filed on August 14, MCG has already sought an extension of the completion date to February 2028, over two years later than earlier commitments.

At the event, Sohna MLA Tejpal Tanwar said the Bandhwari project will provide relief from pollution to residents of Gurugram and surrounding areas. Mayor Rajrani Malhotra added that from September 30, waste from Faridabad will no longer be dumped at Bandhwari, instead it will be dumped in Faridabad itself after the municipal corporation of Faridabad identifies the new location, with the site handling only Gurugram’s garbage.

As plantation drives continue around the site, officials and citizens pledged to support the mission to transform Bandhwari from a toxic waste mound into a reclaimed, green urban space.