Bandhwari wall breach, leachate spill raise Aravalli pollution fears

Environmentalists said toxic leachate threatens vegetation and groundwater, alleging repeated complaints to authorities and the NGT have gone unaddressed.

Several sections of the boundary wall at the Bandhwari landfill on the Gurugram-Faridabad Road are damaged, allowing waste to spill beyond the landfill into the ecologically sensitive Aravalli region, raising serious environmental concerns, an HT spot check last week found.

HT found broken, tilted and incomplete wall sections, with a leachate pond amid waste. MCG said it will inspect the site and act if violations are found. (HT Photo)

The inspection found multiple stretches where the boundary walls were broken, dilapidated or tilted. At one location, the boundary wall was incomplete, with a leachate pond formed amid accumulated waste. The surrounding area also showed trees that had turned brown and lifeless, indicating prolonged exposure to contamination.

Leachate is a toxic liquid generated when rainwater filters through decomposing waste, often carrying harmful chemicals and pollutants into the soil and nearby ecosystems. Environmentalists said it poses a serious threat to vegetation, groundwater and the overall ecological balance.

A worker involved in transporting waste to the landfill, requesting anonymity, said the boundary walls had remained damaged for years. “The boundary walls are not maintained. Some sections are damaged, while others are tilted and no longer of any use,” the worker said.

A landfill worker said several boundary wall sections have remained damaged for years. The district forest officer said an inspection will be conducted soon. (HT Photo)

When contacted, Preetpal Singh, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) joint commissioner, told HT that “no case of any broken boundary walls” had been reported. “However, our team will conduct an inspection, and if any such issues are found, they will be addressed on a priority,” he added.

Raising concerns, environmentalist Vaishali Rana said multiple affidavits had been filed before the National Green Tribunal regarding breaches in the boundary walls and that representations had also been made to the forest department seeking a proper land demarcation survey.

“We have filed multiple affidavits before the National Green Tribunal regarding breaches in the boundary walls and have also written to the forest department seeking a proper land demarcation survey, but no action has been taken so far,” Rana said.

“As per the forest offense report that was issued last year, it critically mentioned the felling of trees adjoining the landfill area, as proof that the Aravallis have been denuded and encroached,” she added.

Ruchika Sethi, environmentalist and founder of the citizen-led initiative Clean Air Bharat, said, “The basic principles of waste management clearly state that it should not harm human health or the environment. The condition of the landfill, including concerns regarding the boundary wall and the continued burden on an already stressed site in the Aravallis, underscores the need for urgent corrective action.”

Surender Rangi, district forest officer, Gurugram, said the landfill inspection would be conducted soon.”We will visit the landfill and inspect it. Such violations will not be tolerated, and action will be taken,” he said.

The inspection also found brown, lifeless trees near the breached sections. Earlier this month, HSPCB fined MCG ₹7 crore for waste management violations. (HT Photo)

Earlier this month, HT reported that the Haryana Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) had imposed a fine of ₹7 crore on MCG for violations of solid waste management rules at the Bandhwari landfill. The state pollution board cited continued non-compliance at the site, including chemical concentrations in the leachate ponds exceeding the permissible limit.