Amid protests, Haryana CM puts plans for Daulatabad landfill site on hold

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday instructed the local administration and the corporation to look for an alternative site to process waste

Updated on: Jul 10, 2024, 05:10:18 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Gurugram: Amid protests on the Dwarka Expressway by groups of residents, villagers and farmers against the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s (MCG) plan to process fresh waste at a site in Daulatabad, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday instructed the local administration and the corporation to look for an alternative site. The protesting residents had been urging the civic body to explore alternative locations for a waste processing facility.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said that they had started looking for alternative sites. “We are looking at nearby areas such as Tauru, Sohna, Nuh and Farrukhnagar. We have also discussed the plan to have multiple decentralised sites so that the entire pressure is not on one site. The land will be taken by the panchayat and rent will be paid to them so that they have a rental income,” he said.

Last month, MCG announced that it will begin processing waste at Daulatabad to ease the load at the Bandhwari landfill, which has long been a source of pollution for the locals.

A group of villagers from Daulatabad said they will not let the MCG use the new site for dumping garbage. Sunny Daulatabad, a resident of the village said, “We met the chief minister and he immediately took action assuring us he would see that the new site is not close to any residential area,” he said.

“We are thankful to the CM and top officials for conceding to the sentiments of DXP sector residents. This decision shows a deep respect for the community’s concerns about environmental sustainability and public health. Moving forward, we are committed to transforming Dwarka Expressway sectors into an environmentally sustainable area over the next few months. This includes enhancing waste management practices, increasing green cover, and promoting eco-friendly initiatives that will benefit both current residents and future generations,” said Sunil Sareen, former president of Imperial Gardens, Sector 102, and Deputy Convenor of DXP-GDA.

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