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MCG’s plan to dump waste in Baliawas green belt draws flak
Locals have alleged that the spot selected by the civic body is a crucial water conservation zone on the Aravalli ridge and added that they had managed to thwart MCG’s initial attempt to allocate the site as a dumping ground for construction waste
Gurugram: Scores of locals living in and around Baliawas village on the Gurugram-Faridabad Road are opposing the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s (MCG) plan to dump construction and demolition (C&D waste) in an area in the village’s green belt. Locals have alleged that the spot selected by the civic body is a crucial water conservation zone on the Aravalli ridge and added that they had managed to thwart MCG’s initial attempt to allocate the site as a dumping ground for construction waste.
According to the villagers, one of the chief reasons for opposing the proposed dumping site is the water harvesting project that has been created there by the forest department. The area is crucial for recharging groundwater for the village and adjoining farms. Villagers fear that the environmental fallout could be catastrophic, threatening the last green oasis in the Aravalli Forest belt, vital farmlands, and local playgrounds.
Raju Harsana, a local resident, said that their cattle would die in incidents similar to those that happened earlier in Bandhwari and Manger. “Groundwater will get contaminated due to leaching. They started the Bandhwari project by saying only debris would be dumped, but then later garbage filled the area,” he said.
Sonu Harsana, another villager said that the biodiversity is at risk in the area. “The forest area has pythons, many birds, bulls, foxes, and sometimes leopards. The farm area has more than 30 cricket fields, tennis courts, a skating arena, and people come from all over Gurgaon and Delhi to enjoy fresh air and play sports here. There are six schools, including Pathways and Heritage School. Now, they will breathe in poisonous air as it will get sandwiched between two big garbage mountains. Manger has become a 70-meter mountain of garbage in 14 years,” he said.
Vaishali Rana, a Gurugram-based environmentalist said that the land earmarked for dumping C&D waste has not been demarcated on the ground by MCG, nor has any infrastructure been developed to house C&D waste. “Open dumping of C&D waste is a clear violation of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981. HSPCB should take action against MCG regarding this,” she said.
Locals said the area has three water harvesting projects, and it recharges the groundwater for the area. The dump is in the water catchment area, said residents.
Villagers argue that the MCG should control waste at its source by segregation as per government rules, rather than collecting and dumping. They believe this approach will prevent the environmental degradation and health risks posed by large-scale dumping.
MCG joint commissioner, Naresh Kumar, said it is becoming challenging for them to identify a new site each time. “We identify one site; locals protest and we start looking for another one. Once we finalise a site, the locals of that particular area start protesting. This is our request to the residents to identify land and tell us so that we can announce the site for C&D waste dumping,” he said.
