Pollution Board plans fresh case against MCG over Bandhwari violations

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) is set to file a fresh prosecution case against the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) over continued violations of solid waste management rules at the Bandhwari landfill, officials said on Friday

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) is set to file a fresh prosecution case against the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) over continued violations of solid waste management rules at the Bandhwari landfill, officials said on Friday.

This will be the second such prosecution initiated by the pollution board against the civic body. The first case was filed in December 2024 before the special environment court in Faridabad, citing breaches of solid waste management norms at the landfill site.

Officials said the fresh case has been necessitated by MCG’s persistent failure to comply with the rules. “In the new case, we will also name specific officers found responsible for the violations. The pollution board will examine the shortcomings and file a detailed charge sheet,” said Akansha Tanwar, regional officer of HSPCB.

In June this year, the pollution board had also imposed a fine of ₹30 lakh on MCG following fire incidents at the landfill. Since January this year, a total of 16 fire incidents have been reported at the site, officials said. Two major fires broke out at Bandhwari in 2025, keeping firefighters engaged for extended hours.

HSPCB officials added that the MCG has yet to deposit the ₹30 lakh fine. This penalty is in addition to the monthly fine of ₹10 lakh that the board has been levying on the civic authority since April 2020. HT had earlier reported in June that the total penalty imposed on MCG since April 2020 amounts to ₹7 crore, of which the corporation has cleared ₹6.3 crore so far.

The development comes amid heightened scrutiny from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which has issued a notice to MCG directing it to submit a detailed action plan for the treatment of legacy waste at Bandhwari, along with a clear timeline for halting fresh dumping at the site.

On July 7, a bench comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava, chairperson, and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad, ordered the MCG to file an affidavit within four weeks, disclosing a timeline and comprehensive plan to stop fresh waste dumping and clear the entire legacy waste, including any fresh garbage dumped in the intervening period.

HT tried to reach to MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya and joint commissioner Preetpal Singh, but did not receive responses by the time of going to print.