Protest against firm for waste treatment

The protesters accused the company of improper handling of waste, which, they say, is leading to pollution of the air and water.

Over two dozen villagers from Bandhwari, Baliyawas, Gwal Pahadi and Behrampur — settlements in close proximity to the Bandhwari landfill on the Gurugram-Faridabad road — organized a panchayat in Behrampur village on Saturday to protest against Ecogreen Energy, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s concessionaire for waste management.

The protesters accused the company of improper handling of waste, which, they say, is leading to pollution of the air and water. “Leachate is making our water poisonous,” said KS Tanwar, a resident of Gwal Pahari. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The protesters accused the company of improper handling of waste, which, they say, is leading to pollution of the air and water. “Leachate is making our water poisonous,” said KS Tanwar, a resident of Gwal Pahari.

Villagers also complained about the dumping of waste at stray locations in the Aravallis, causing environmental damage to the region. Panchayat members proposed the formation of a five member team that would reach out to residents from 50 nearby villages, such as Mangar, Dera, Ghata and others, which are also being affected by pollution from the landfill. “We will hold a mahapanchayat with members from all these 50 villages,” said Behrampur resident Devi Dayal.

Saturday’s panchayat follows an August 23 order from the National Green Tribunal, which directed Ecogreen to deposit a fine of ₹2.5 lakh with the Haryana State Pollution Control Board for polluting the environment.