Gurgaon: Aravali hills and forest areas around Bhankri village in Faridabad have become a dumping ground for municipal waste. Several Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) vehicles could be seen carrying waste into the area and unloading it amid the green cover. The forest department has taken note of the dumping and said it would write to MCF over the matter.Waste could also be seen along the stretches leading to the hills. A forest department official said the department had taken note of the matter and would communicate with MCF. “We are writing to MCF regarding the dumping of waste in the area,” the official said.Residents and activists have demanded that the waste already dumped in the hills be removed immediately and that vehicles carrying waste be stopped from entering the area.The Bhankri area is part of the Aravalis, an ecologically important hill system that supports vegetation, wildlife and groundwater recharge. It is covered under section 4 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), under which tree felling is not permitted without permission. The regulatory protection adds to concerns over the use of the hill and forest area for waste disposal.The dumping has raised questions over the handling of municipal waste and the use of an ecologically sensitive hill landscape for disposal. Environmentalist Vaishali Rana said, “Allowing waste disposal in the Aravalis can create longer-term problems, particularly if the dumping continues and the waste footprint expands.”Open dumping of mixed municipal waste can introduce plastic and other non-biodegradable material into the landscape and affect soil and surrounding vegetation. Rainwater passing through accumulated waste can also carry dissolved pollutants into the soil and potentially affect groundwater.Waste dumped in the area can also be scattered by wind and rain, spreading plastic and other material deeper into the Aravali terrain. Accumulated waste can also become a source of smoke and air pollution if it is set on fire, releasing particulate matter and other pollutants and potentially damaging nearby vegetation.MCF commissioner Yashendra Singh could not be reached for comment.
