Union minister inspects Bandhwari landfill, orders faster waste processing

Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar inspected Gurugram's Bandhwari landfill, urging quicker waste processing, more agencies, and regular drone monitoring.

Gurugram: Union minister for housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday inspected the Bandhwari landfill site in Gurugram and directed officials to speed up garbage processing work, increase the number of waste management agencies and ensure stricter monitoring through regular drone surveys.

Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal during a visit to the Bandhwari landfill in Gurugram on Thursday. (PTI)

The minister reviewed the ongoing waste disposal and bio-mining operations and instructed officials to prepare and submit progress reports on waste processing every 24 hours for regular monitoring.

Officials said the Bandhwari landfill site, which caters to waste generated from Gurugram and Faridabad, has remained a major environmental concern for several years due to recurring fires, legacy waste accumulation, foul smell and pollution complaints.

Currently, two agencies are engaged in waste disposal operations. Manohar Lal directed authorities to increase the number of agencies to speed up clearance of the landfill within the stipulated timeline.

He also instructed officials to identify a separate location for disposal of fresh waste so that processing and removal of legacy waste at Bandhwari is not affected.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently reviewed the Swachh Bharat Mission and the government aims to develop 50 cities across the country as clean, beautiful and well-managed urban centres. Cities represent the image of the country,” the minister said.

He directed officials to ensure that the Bandhwari landfill site is cleared within a year and ordered regular drone surveys to ensure transparent and effective monitoring of waste disposal work.

Focusing on Gurugram’s sanitation system, Khattar said garbage should not be visible at any public location. He suggested dividing the city’s wards into seven monitoring zones and assigning responsibility to senior municipal officials, including additional commissioners and joint commissioners, to strengthen accountability and area-wise supervision.

He directed civic authorities to implement sanitation measures in mission mode and ensure a cleaner and healthier environment for residents.

Senior officials present during the visit included GMDA chief executive officer PC Meena, deputy commissioner Uttam Singh, police commissioner Shibas Kaviraj, MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya, Municipal Corporation Manesar commissioner Pradeep Singh and other senior administrative officials.