Pollution board advises civic bodies to stop dumping waste at Bandhwari

Kulwinder Sandhu

Gurugram, July 18

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has recommended the local civic authorities of Gurugram and Faridabad districts to stop dumping fresh waste at the Bandhwari landfill site. It has also asked them to take immediate steps to enhance the capacity of solid waste management facilities, including those utilised for collection, segregation, transportation and processing of waste generated in their respective jurisdictions. This was stated in the status report filed by the CPCB to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) this week.

It has been claimed before the NGT that the bioremediation (processing) of legacy waste at Bandhwari landfill site has not been completed by the civic bodies and only 20 per cent of land has been reclaimed as on date.

The report states that there is a significant gap in solid waste generation and handling the dumping of fresh solid waste by Gurugram and Faridabad districts at the site.

The remediation of legacy waste at Bandhwari is under process by four different agencies and proposed to be completed by the end of this year. Out of the total of 4.4 million tonnes of legacy waste, at least three million tonnes has been processed so far. The CPCB has stated in its report that six fire incidents have been reported in 2024 due to high temperature and methane emission at the landfill site, which is a cause of worry for the

local environment.

It added that treated leachate water was sprayed during high temperatures in May and June at the landfill site to control fires.

The CPCB has revealed that methane is being monitored with six portable handheld methane detectors at Bandhwari. However, there are no fixed methane detectors at appropriate locations for continuous monitoring of the gas.

It has further stated in its report that the Gurugram Municipal Corporation has prepared a fire action plan as per the guidelines of the CPCB and gotten the same approved from the Fire Department of Haryana government. However, the MCG has recently claimed that the installation of the fixed pipe network required as per the approved fire action plan is not possible due to site constraints with respect to treatment of legacy waste of 8,000 tonnes per day at the site; dumping of fresh waste to the tune of 2,000 to 2,500 tonnes per day; excessive vehicular movement and regular bio remediation activities.

The MCG has also submitted its separate report to the NGT, this week, in compliance with the NGT order (April 25, 2024). It outlined the steps taken by the MCG to control the fire incidents and avoid recurring fire incidents in future.

The MCG has submitted that the leachate is collected in ponds at Bandhwari and transported through tankers for treatment to the 120 MLD capacity sewage treatment plant (STP) of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority at Behrampur village. The MCG is incurring the costs of labour and transportation of this leachate waste.

Fire action plan prepared

• The Gurugram MC has prepared a fire action plan as per the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board and gotten the same approved from the Fire Department of Haryana.
• The MCG has recently claimed that the installation of the fixed pipe network required as per the approved fire action plan is not possible due to site constraints with respect to treatment of legacy waste of 8,000 tonnes per day at the site; dumping of fresh waste to the tune of 2,000 to 2,500 tonnes per day; excessive vehicular movement and regular bio remediation activities.