Drone survey to check legacy waste processing at Bandhwari landfill in Gurugram

Earlier on June 13, MCG commissioner PC Meena had asked MCG teams deployed at Bandhwari landfill to carry out a drone survey every month to check the volume of legacy waste

Updated on: Jun 23, 2023, 23:36:04 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will carry out a drone survey of the Bandhwari landfill every fortnight to keep a tab on the volume of legacy waste, civic body officials said on Friday.

The Bandhwari landfill in Gurugram. (Parveen Kumar/ HT)

Earlier on June 13, MCG commissioner PC Meena had asked MCG teams deployed at Bandhwari landfill to carry out a drone survey every month to check the volume of legacy waste. “Now, the drone survey will take place every fortnight,” said Pardeep Kumar, MCG joint commissioner.

Officials said the surveillance will also do a status check of the waste processing done by the private agencies hired by the civic body.

The dumping and processing of fresh waste is being done at a newly constructed two-acre site near the old landfill. The civic body started dumping solid waste at the new site since last month, said officials.

Meanwhile, Meena called a meeting on Friday to discuss issues related to solid waste management. “Such surveillance has helped us in the past and we have decided to use drones to monitor the present status of the Bandhwari landfill,” he said.

Meena said the MCG is trying to process as much solid waste generated from Gurugram so that the old landfill site could be remediated. “Our plan is to involve all private agencies and complete the process at the earliest. I have directed teams to conduct a drone survey every 14 days. Our aim is to process at least 15,000 tonnes of waste on a daily basis so that we can process the entire legacy waste within a few months,” he said.

Gurugram dumps around 100 tonnes of solid waste at the Bandhwari landfill daily. Currently, the landfill has around 2.3 million tonnes of waste and is estimated to be 34 metres tall, said officials.

The MCG has also decided to install 13 CCTV cameras at the landfill site. The additional commissioner has directed officials to install internet protocol cameras for real-time tracking of waste management.

“All the vehicles involved in dumping waste at Bandhwari landfill should be GPS-linked and the weight of each vehicle should be verified,” he said.

Officials said if the private agencies fail to meet their waste processing deadlines, penalties will be imposed on them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More