To reduce waste at Bandhwari landfill, MCG eyes December deadline

MCG commissioner Narhari Singh Bangar said that in the past two years they have reduced the landfill’s height from 50 metres to less than 23 metres

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is ramping up efforts to reduce the size of the Bandhwari landfill before the December deadline decided by MCG, and an upcoming National Green Tribunal (NGT) hearing on September 3, which will review the progress made at the landfill, officials said on Thursday.

The landfill currently holds approximately 1 million metric tonne (MT) of waste. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

They said that in the past two years alone, they have managed to reduce the landfill’s height from 50 metres to less than 23 metres. MCG is taking the steps following the May 17 order of NGT which slammed the civic body over the slow pace of waste management, said MCG commissioner Narhari Singh Bangar.

NGT had put MCG and the Faridabad corporation (MCF) under scrutiny, demanding a definitive timeline for complete disposal of legacy waste from Bandhwari landfill. The green tribunal has mandated that processing of legacy waste, amounting to 8,610 tonnes per day (TPD), must be closely monitored on a daily basis.

MCG and MCF have been instructed to initiate waste processing facilities to prevent accumulation of additional legacy waste. In response, the Haryana govt has made a commitment to the tribunal, assuring that by December 31, 2024, the landfill site will be entirely cleared of all legacy waste, said officials.

“Both corporations — MCG and MCF — will furnish details of daily waste being processed by them besides legacy waste and accordingly, provide status on quantity of waste generated and processed,” stated the order by NGT chairperson Prakash Shrivastava, judicial magistrate Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel.

The tribunal also observed that despite initial claims that the entire legacy waste would be cleared by June 2024, MCG has now disclosed that as of May 14, 2024, the remaining legacy waste is 1.288 million MT.

NGT has also expressed hope that if MCG makes a request, authorities such as NTPC, NHAI, HAU, and NCCBM will collaborate and utilise the fractions obtained by processing legacy waste. The case is listed for further hearing on Sept 3, 2024.

On Thursday, Bangar visited the landfill to assess the current waste processing activities managed by four private companies. “Bhumi Green Energy, a private waste management firm, has reclaimed approximately 6-7 acres at the Bandhwari landfill site and it has led to reduction in the landfill’s waste height to less than 23 metres in just two years. Based on their performance they will get an additional enhancement of 500,000 metric tonne of work,” he said.

Bangar said that the company is using its indigenously developed technology and processing machinery, which has positioned itself as the fastest in processing waste at the Bandhwari landfill. “They have provided a comprehensive solution that includes the design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of waste processing systems. The technology used by them is the latest and ensures effective and verifiable results. Their methodical approach incorporates a five-layer segregation process that produces Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) and soil, which has substantially reduced the environmental impact of the landfill,” he said.