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Clear Bandhwari’s legacy waste in 4 months: CM Saini to MCG

Jan 25, 2025 05:30 AM IST

The ₹90.1 crore project will be executed by two agencies—one assigned 9 lakh metric tonnes at ₹645 per tonne and the other handling 5 lakh metric tonnes at ₹642 per tonne. Operations are expected to begin within a month, following necessary approvals, with officials instructed to ensure strict adherence to the timeline to prevent further environmental deterioration

Gurugram: Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to ensure the complete disposal of legacy waste at the Bandhwari landfill site in the city within four months. Helming a four-hour long meeting of the high-powered purchase committee (HPPC) on Thursday, Saini finalised the selection of agencies responsible for processing nearly 14 lakh metric tonnes of waste. He warned that failure to meet the deadline would lead to penalties and legal action against the agencies involved, officials aware of the matter said.

Waste treatment at Bandhwari was halted two months ago after the contracts with previous agencies expired. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)
Waste treatment at Bandhwari was halted two months ago after the contracts with previous agencies expired. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

The 90.1 crore project will be executed by two agencies—one assigned 9 lakh metric tonnes at 645 per tonne and the other handling 5 lakh metric tonnes at 642 per tonne. Operations are expected to begin within a month, following necessary approvals, with officials instructed to ensure strict adherence to the timeline to prevent further environmental deterioration.

But environmentalists have expressed scepticism over the government’s ability to meet the four-month deadline, citing the landfill’s longstanding issues that have persisted despite numerous initiatives launched by the state over the years. Gurugram-based environmental activist Vaishali Rana criticised the ambitious timeline, stating, “The Bandhwari landfill cannot be removed in four months; it has been the same for the last many months. The authorities are fooling the public, nothing else.”

Waste treatment at Bandhwari was halted two months ago after the contracts with previous agencies expired. Around 2,200 tonnes of waste from Gurugram and Faridabad are dumped at the site daily. According to an affidavit submitted by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on December 16, approximately 8.8 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste remain untreated despite an earlier deadline of December 31 last year.

MCG commissioner Ashok Kumar Garg stated that the agencies require at least 15 days to mobilise resources before starting operations. “Given our four-month timeline to process the legacy waste, we have instructed all participating agencies to adhere strictly to this schedule to ensure complete treatment,” he said.

The NGT, while hearing petitions from local residents and environmentalists, highlighted significant shortcomings in MCG’s handling of the legacy waste. In its December 17 order, the tribunal noted that progress had been slow and that MCG’s affidavit lacked crucial information, such as analytical evidence confirming the safety of bio-soil distributed to farmers and data on the quantity of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) sent to cement plants.

Meanwhile, the civic body plans to engage a private contractor for the installation of two Disk Tube Reverse Osmosis (DTRO) units to treat leachate at the site. The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) had earlier found the existing DTRO units to be non-functional during an inspection on December 2, 2024. The 10 crore project aims to establish facilities capable of processing 200 kilolitres per day and ensure that landfill leachate is treated on-site rather than being transported to sewage treatment plants.

The project, expected to be completed within two-and-a-half months, will help address the long-standing issue of leachate management at the landfill. The HSPCB panel has also recommended the removal of plastic waste choking several ponds at the site, urging authorities to take immediate action to mitigate environmental hazards.

Officials further revealed that efforts are being made to explore sustainable waste management solutions such as waste-to-energy projects and increased recycling initiatives. Residents living near the landfill have raised concerns over health issues caused by the unchecked waste accumulation, urging authorities for a long-term resolution to the waste crisis.

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