Faridabad: Dumping of waste in Aravallis on the rise
Bijendra Ahlawat
Faridabad, January 25
Flora and fauna in the Aravallis in the National Capital Region (NCR) is under threat due to unabated dumping of untreated waste in the ecological sensitive zone.
Waste dumping has been reported from at least seven spots — near Hanuman Temple on Faridabad-Gurugram road, Pali-Bhankri Road, Pali-Surajkund Road, Badkhal-Surajkund Road, Mangar-Gurugram Road, Sohna Road and near Sector 46 — in the region, sources claimed. An official said the quantity of garbage being dumped at these spots had increased after the National Green Tribunal ordered civic bodies of Faridabad, Gurugram and Manesar to decrease waste disposal at landfill site in Bandhwari village. The authorities concerned are yet to find an alternative spot to dump the garbage.
Jitender Bhadana, a spokesperson of an NGO ‘Save Aravalli’, said several complaints had been lodged with the authorities concerned, including the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, but the practice was going on unchecked. “Residents of Pali, Bhankri, Bandhwari, Mohbattabad, Mangar and other neighbouring villages have also protested against the dumping of the untreated waste in the area. They are also opposing any plan to set up a new dumping site in the area,” he added.
An official said the Faridabad civic body was facing difficulties to dump over 800 tonnes of waste, produced in the city daily, as the landfill site in Bandhwari village had been filled. “The authorities concerned are yet to finalise an alternative spot to dispose of the garbage,” he added.
Another source said the waste to energy power plant at Bandhwari, for which the state government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a private company in 2017, wouldn’t be completed before mid-2024. “Efforts are on to find a viable solution for the issue and to curb illegal dumping of waste, if any, in the forest area,” said a senior district official.
