Gurgaon: Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) has assured Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) that it will stop dumping fresh waste at the Bandhwari landfill from next Tuesday, which could temporarily ease pressure on the overburdened dump.According to MCG officials, Faridabad currently sends around 9,000 tonnes of fresh waste every day to Bandhwari, accounting for nearly 38% of the total waste dumped there every month.The landfill has long been at the centre of environmental and public health concerns because of the tonnes of legacy waste that has been collecting at the site. Now, MCG is searching for an alternative location for dumping and processing of waste on a war footing.MCG officials said the move will significantly help clear the dump — an order that was given by the union housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal Khattar last month. “Faridabad stopping its waste disposal at Bandhwari will reduce the burden significantly. We have received a verbal assurance from the MCF stating that they will stop fresh waste dumping from next week,” he said.MCF commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata was not available for a comment despite repeated attempts to contact him.While MCG earlier also directed the MCF to stop fresh waste dumping at Bandhwari, the practice, however, has not stopped.However, some environmentalists said Faridabad stopping waste dumping would not make much difference to the landfill’s condition.“Faridabad will create a new landfill for their waste, which will only aggravate the issue. Besides, Gurgaon itself dumps around 1,500 tonnes of waste per day, which is more than the clearance they have got,” said Vaishali Rana, an activist.On May 28, Khattar ordered MCG officials to clear Bandhwari within one year and submit daily progress reports. The landfill continues to hold an estimated 18 lakh MT of accumulated legacy waste. Two agencies are currently engaged in treating the waste.He also directed that regular drone surveys be conducted during the meeting to ensure transparent and effective monitoring of the work being carried out. He directed officials to monitor the pace and quality of work through modern technology.
