Landfill fire: Environmentalists seek drone survey of garbage mound at Bandhwari

Days after the Bandhwari landfill fire, city environmentalists today wrote to the state authorities, seeking a drone survey and ground truthing of the garbage mound.

Key demands

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• A drone survey and ground truthing/demarcation process should be conducted immediately by the Forest Department/HSPCB or the DC Revenue Office to verify the area occupied by the MCG in the Aravallis.
• The wildlife NOC granted to the MC, Gurugram, should be revoked without delay
• The environmental clearance granted to the MCG must also be rescinded for violating clearance guidelines.
• The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) should take over and investigate the matter, as this constitutes a clear violation of the protections granted for the Aravallis ranges.

Contrary to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s (MCG) claims of reducing the landfill’s height, environmentalists argue that the civic body, in an attempt to deceive the National Green Tribunal, is merely focusing on lowering the height while spreading the waste over a larger area. They claim that the waste has now encroached further into the fragile Aravalli Forest, reaching its core areas and nearby water bodies.

“The expanse of the landfill has increased over the last year and a half, and the MCG is illegally occupying more land than it is authorised to. The landfill now covers over 40 acres, compared to the authorised 30 acres. The illegally occupied area includes Aravalli plantations and Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA)-protected sectors 4 and 5, violating the Supreme Court-mandated protection for the Aravallis. The SC-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) should take note of this,” the letter by the environmentalists stated.

It further pointed out that notices issued by the Forest Department for tree felling near the landfill site are evidence of encroachment and deforestation in the Aravallis. The letter has been sent to the Environment and Forest Ministry, Pollution Control Board and the Wildlife Department.

The environmentalists also allege that a three-acre waterhole has almost disappeared, buried under the municipal waste.

“The situation on the ground is worsening as waste continues to penetrate deeper into the forest. The waterhole, which was used by wildlife, has not been protected by the Wildlife Department. According to the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules of 2016, the landfill should not have been so close to a water body in the first place, but the MCG misrepresented the facts and concealed the existence of the water body to obtain environmental clearances,” said environmentalist Vaishali Rana Chandra.