Fresh waste inflow hampers Bandhwari landfill clearance

Waste processing infrastructure in Faridabad is being overhauled as authorities move to reduce dependence on the Bandhwari landfill.

Published on: Feb 13, 2026, 09:00:00 IST

By Leena Dhankhar, Gurugram

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Efforts to clear a 37-metre-high garbage mountain in Gurugram are being slowed by the continuous inflow of, what official say, is largely unprocessed waster from Faridabad.

The Bandhwari landfill, which serves both Gurugram and Faridabad, currently holds about 1.66 million tonnes of legacy waste, according to municipal officials. Additionally, it receives an average of 2,200 tonnes of fresh municipal waste every day — about 1,200 metric tonnes from Gurugram and roughly 1,000 metric tonnes from Faridabad, according to municipal data.

Officials said this sustained inflow is offsetting part of the gains made through excavation and processing of old waste heaps.

However, they added that no timeline has yet been set for completion of legacy waste remediation at Bandhwari. The MCG had submitted a timeline to NGT last year to clear legacy waste by 2028 starting Jan 2026. MCG has already started the processing work.

A senior MCG official said Faridabad alone is sending about 600–700 metric tonnes. The waste from Gurugram and Faridabad are coming to Bandhwari of waste daily at present, compared to 600–800 metric tonnes earlier last year. “Faridabad’s civic agency needs to strengthen local processing. They should develop material recovery facilities, create their own landfill capacity and process waste locally. Refuse derived fuel (RDF), a type of fuel produced from municipal solid waste (garbage) and inert material should be channelled to paper mills and other users. Land must be identified and the process started,” the official said requesting anonymity, adding that the entire waste is sent unprocessed which is a challenge.

Faridabad municipal officials said they will look into the issue and will come up with a solution shortly. However, they did not clarify why the bulk waste remains unprocessed before being transported to Bandhwari.

To be sure, waste processing infrastructure in Faridabad is being overhauled as authorities move to reduce dependence on the Bandhwari landfill. The Municipal Corporation of Faridabad is rolling out a mix of decentralised, ward-level facilities and larger integrated waste-to-energy projects aimed at strengthening local processing capacity and easing the load on existing dumping sites.

The Bandhwari landfill site, long considered an environmental eyesore, has been a major concern for authorities and residents due to recurring waste piles, foul odour, and toxic leachate seeping into the ground and nearby water systems.

Official data from last month shows Bandhwari had about 3.04 million tonnes of waste as of January 2023. Between January and December 2023, about 606,000 tonnes of fresh waste was added, while another 584,000 tonnes tonnes reached the site between January 2024 and November 21, 2024. During the same periods, 1.65 million tonnes and 1.71 million tonnes of waste, respectively, were processed and disposed of. In total, about 3.37 million tonnes has been processed so far through bio-mining — excavation and mechanical separation of legacy landfill waste into reusable fractions — and segregation, officials said.

Officials added that multiple agencies are currently engaged at the site using trommel machines and segregation systems to scientifically process legacy waste and reduce the height of the dump.

“Our emphasis is not just on dumping but on continuous bio-mining and scientific disposal. Along with clearing old waste, we are also working on better treatment of fresh waste so the landfill load can be reduced in a planned manner,” a senior official said. Authorities said efforts to improve segregation, processing capacity and environmental safeguards are being scaled up alongside remediation work.

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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