Gurugram: Officials meet Bandhwari villagers with health problems

Day before chief minister’s two-day visit to city, district administration officials visited the site to collect groundwater samples and to speak to locals who have been facing health problems. Residents have been trying hard to have the plant shifted and are mulling a peaceful protest during CM’s visit to the plant on Friday.

Two days before the scheduled visit of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to lay the foundation stone of the proposed waste-to-energy plant at Bandhwari, a team of district administration officials visited the site on Wednesday.

MCG chief medical officer Dr Asrudin speaks with villagers living near the Bandhwari waste treatment. The visit comes a day before the chief minister is due to visit the site. Villagers have planned a protest to draw CM’s attention to the health problems they are facing.

They were there to collect groundwater samples and to speak to locals who have been facing health problems.

The solid waste treatment plant at Bandhwari has been a serious health hazard since its inception in 2009-10.

The residents of nearby villages such as Baliyawas, Gwal Pahari, Mandi and others, have been complaining of bad groundwater, air and soil.

The residents are worried because the untreated waste dump has been polluting ground water, air and soil, and affecting nearby villages.

Karam Singh Tanwar, a resident of Gwal Pahari, said, “My wife died of cancer three years ago. I wanted to show the team all her medical papers, but they refused to visit my home. I live nearly three kilometres from the plant.The water and air have gotten worse. I am dead against this waste plant and will continue to raise my voice. Three people have died of cancer in the past two years in Bandhwari and Gwal Pahari.”

Dr Asrudin, chief medical officer, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG),who led the team to Bandhwari, said, “We met some residents with health complaints — mainly cancer. We visited because there were some media reports which stated that cancer and other health concerns in the area were due to the waste plant spreading pollution here. However, we do not find it appropriate to connect these health issues with the waste dumping site at all.”

Residents have been trying hard to have the plant shifted and are mulling a peaceful protest during the CM’s visit on Friday.

Vivek Kamboj, an environmentalist, said, “We have submitted all reports of contaminated groundwater to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The groundwater is very bad and is getting worse everyday due to waste dumping in the Aravalli hills. The Haryana government has turned a blind eye to our concerns, while people are falling ill in nearby villages.”

The MCG has hired Ecogreen, a private company, to treat waste and produce energy.

Bandhwari gets more than 1200MT of waste from Gurugram and Faridabad. Already, 25,000 to 30,000MT of untreated waste has been lying at the plant since November 2013, after the Haryana government terminated the services of the old contractor.

Fact File on Bandhwari waste plant: