Municipal Corporation of Gurugram directed to obtain green nod for Bandhwari landfill

The NGT had, on March 2, admonished the MCG and Ecogreen for improper waste management in Bandhwari, and asked both parties, on March 8, to present plans to remedy the situation, along with reasons why prosecution should not be initiated against them.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and its concessionaire for waste management in the city, Ecogreen Energy, to seek environmental clearance for the Bandhwari landfill from the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) at the earliest. The order was made in view of a February report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) that noted violations of environmental law at the landfill site and the lack of environmental clearances, more than two years after Ecogreen was contracted by the civic authority.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and its concessionaire for waste management in the city, Ecogreen Energy, to seek environmental clearance for the Bandhwari landfill from the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) at the earliest. (HT File Photo)

The NGT had, on March 2, admonished the MCG and Ecogreen for improper waste management in Bandhwari, and asked both parties, on March 8, to present plans to remedy the situation, along with reasons why prosecution should not be initiated against them.

On Wednesday, the court directed the bodies to seek an environmental clearance from the MoEF to proceed with their proposed solutions. However, according to the original contract between the two parties, Ecogreen is required to set up a waste-to-energy plant on site to help dispose the 1,500 metric tonnes of untreated municipal waste dumped at the site daily.

Yashpal Yadav, MCG commissioner, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Gaurav Joshi, chief operating officer, Ecogreen Energy, declined to comment on the matter as it is sub-judice, but confirmed that the operations at Bandhwari were on without any environmental clearance from the MoEF.