Gurgaon: It’s a race against time for MCG’s two private agencies in meeting the contract deadline to process the Bandhwari waste. The two agencies were awarded work orders in Jan. With just 46.4% of their 14-lakh-tonne processing target completed, they must process — by Feb 14, 2027 — the remaining 7.5 lakh metric tonnes at Bandhwari, where 1,500 metric tonnes of daily waste continue to arrive.On Monday, MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya, while inspecting the landfill, directed officials to expedite the processing of accumulated legacy waste and ensure the timely disposal of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) generated during the processing. “We aim to accelerate solid waste management operations and continuously improve sanitation arrangements across the city. Effective action to expedite legacy waste processing and ensure the timely disposal of RDF will help strengthen the solid waste management system,” Dahiya said.However, 53.6% of the contracted quantity is yet to be processed. In Jan, after a roughly six-month halt in legacy waste processing, Haryana approved a Rs 126-crore project to restart the work through two private agencies. The interruption followed MCG’s termination of contracts with the previous agencies over slow progress. The repeated changes in timelines and contracting arrangements have made the pace of execution a central concern. The Feb 2027 deadline will therefore be a test of whether the current arrangement can deliver the promised clearance within a defined timeframe.MCG’s proposed diversion of fresh waste to Sohna is intended to address one of the biggest obstacles to clearing Bandhwari: the continued arrival of daily garbage while legacy waste is being processed. MCG has already identified a 20-acre parcel in Sohna for the disposal and processing of daily municipal waste. The project is estimated to cost Rs 41 crore, with the state’s urban local bodies department approving the hiring of a private agency.Faridabad too was sending its daily waste, around 1,000 tonnes per day, to Bandhwari, but stopped a few months ago. However, it is now dumping daily waste in Aravalis on Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, for which a massive protest has been going on for more than 10 days now. While Faridabad has reduced the burden on Bandhwari, it is now “directly dumping waste into Aravalis”, said environmentalists.
