Faridabad waste inflow strains Gurugram’s Bandhwari landfill capacity

Around 1,000 tonnes daily add to costs, pressure; MCG may oppose move as NGT 2027 legacy waste deadline risks delay amid processing gaps

Published on: Apr 2, 2026, 07:39:50 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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The continuous inflow of municipal waste from Faridabad to Gurugram’s Bandhwari landfill has emerged as a growing financial and environmental concern for the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), with officials indicating the issue may soon be formally raised in opposition.

MCG weighs formal objection; 1.6 million tonnes waste amassed in a year as delays widen gap between waste generated and processed (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Nearly 1,000 tonnes of waste from Faridabad is being transported daily to the Bandhwari landfill, civic officials said, adding that the additional burden has significantly increased operational costsfor Gurugram, which is already struggling to manage its own waste generation of around 1,200 tonnes per day.

The landfill, located along the Gurugram–Faridabad road, has accumulated over 1.6 million tonnes of waste within a year, raising concerns about environmental sustainability and capacity. Officials said the rising inflow has further strained existing waste management infrastructure, with only a portion of Gurugram’s daily waste being processed while the rest continues to be dumped.

The Bandhwari landfill currently receives around 2,000 tonnes of mixed, unsegregated waste daily from Gurugram and Faridabad, officials said, with only a portion processed on time and the rest continuing to be dumped.

While legacy waste remediation capacity is estimated between 4,000 and 10,000 tonnes per day, depending on plant efficiency, delays and operational gaps have created a persistent mismatch between waste generated and waste processed, leading to continued accumulation at the site.

“The increasing cost and pressure due to external waste are becoming unsustainable. The issue is likely to be raised in the municipal council, and a formal objection may be recorded,” said executive engineer (MCG) Sandeep Sihag.

Waste processing at the site is currently being handled by two agencies, but officials admitted to HT on condition of anonymity that efficiency is being impacted due to the growing volume.

Faridabad Municipal Corporation officials said efforts are underway to establish a material recovery facility (MRF) to process waste locally. “Once the MRF becomes operational, waste transportation to Bandhwari will be reduced,” a senior MCF official said. Sites are yet to be finalised; locations are likely to be identified by next month, officials said.

The National Green Tribunal has set a February 2027 deadline to clear legacy waste at Bandhwari, but officials said continued external dumping could hinder the target. MCG has written to Faridabad, urging local processing. “Each city must handle its own waste. Continued dumping at Bandhwari is not a sustainable solution,” said Sihag.

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

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