Gurgaon: National Green Tribunal has directed MCG to submit a detailed timeline for ending fresh dumping at the Bandhwari landfill and to explain how it will clear both legacy and fresh waste, currently generated at 1,500 metric tonnes a day.Hearing a batch of petitions on July 7, the bench of justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad also questioned MCG on monsoon preparedness at the site.According to the civic body’s latest status report, 56 lakh MT of legacy and fresh waste has accumulated since Jan 2023, of which 38 lakh MT has been processed, leaving 18 lakh MT untreated as of June 30, despite over three years of biomining and bioremediation.The tribunal has sought a comprehensive plan within four weeks, directing MCG to “disclose the manner in which the entire legacy waste, including the fresh dumping in the meanwhile, will be cleared from the landfill site.”MCG told the tribunal it had awarded fresh contracts in Jan to two agencies — M/s Daya Charan and Company and M/s MKG Green Energy Pvt Ltd — to process 14 lakh MT of legacy waste over 12 months.The high-powered works committee, chaired by the chief minister, has approved processing of an additional 2 lakh MT, raising the total target to 16 lakh MT. Of this, nearly 2 lakh MT has already been processed. According to the status report, monthly targets will rise sharply from Nov, with the agencies handling over 2 lakh MT each in that month, Dec and Jan before completing the assigned work by Feb 2027.On monsoon risks, the tribunal directed MCG to ensure no leachate flows outside the landfill site, and to disclose the status of source segregation, the condition of the boundary wall, and precautionary measures taken to prevent leachate from reaching the nearby road, water body and forest area.NGT has also asked the deputy commissioner to file a separate affidavit within four weeks. Citing the Solid Waste Management Rules and a Feb 2026 Supreme Court judgment, the tribunal noted that the district magistrate is responsible for ensuring implementation of the rules and must report on compliance at Bandhwari. The matter will next be heard on Aug 19.Petitioner Vaishali Rana said the order makes clear that clearing legacy waste alone won’t solve the problem if 1,500 MT of fresh waste continues to be added daily. “The tribunal has rightly asked the authorities to explain when fresh dumping will stop and how the entire site will be reclaimed,” Rana said.
