Bandhwari leachate highly toxic, reveals report

Gurugram, August 9

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has found that leachate being discharged from the Bandhwari landfill into the surrounding Aravallis is highly toxic. Samples were collected from three water bodies near the landfill’s waste processing plant on July 12 and the report was released on Tuesday.

The tests were conducted after environmentalists claimed that the discharge was contaminating the ecosystem of the Aravallis. The report revealed that the contaminants were exceeding the permissible limits of indicators, such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids, oil and grease and conductivity.

The samples indicated that BOD and COD were over six times higher than the prescribed limits. BOD is a measure of oxygen required for bacteria to decompose organic components present in water while COD is a test that measures the amount of oxygen required to chemically oxidise the organic material. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, BOD and COD in a river or water body should be less than 30 mg/l and 250 mg/l, respectively.

BOD was found to be 910 mg/l and COD 5,080 mg/l in one of the ponds. Another site reported a BOD of 230 mg/l and COD of 840 mg/l. The BOD level in the third pond was 500 mg/l and COD was 3,480 mg/l. The samples are highly toxic and untreated leachate is being discharged into the Aravallis, the report stated.

“The report confirms that polluted wastewater is being discharged in the forest which will adversely affect the environment. We will take action as per the rules. We will impose environmental compensation on the concessionaire,” said Kuldeep Singh, HSPCB regional officer. It may be noted that the Municipal Corporation, Gurugram, has already served several notices to concessionaire Ecogreen Energy, accusing it of the Bandhwari mismanagement and environmental damage to the Aravallis.

“Because the concessionaire could not carry out the promised treatment or set up waste-to-energy plant, we have a mountain of waste. We have served it many notices, and this time we will take action,” said MC Commissioner PC Meena.