Panel led by DC Nishant Yadav visits Bandhwari, seeks waste information

GURUGRAM: A committee led by the deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav visited the Bandhwari landfill site on Tuesday and sought information on waste processing, legacy waste management, fire incidents and requirement of additional land for waste processing.
The team also comprised officials from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB). MCG officials at the site told the committee about the space constraints at the landfill and informed the panel that they require additional land for the landfill since 10 acres have been set aside for the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) plant and the amount of waste dumped everyday at the landfill is increasing.
The committee members also enquired about leachate management. On this, MCG officials said while they have proper arrangements for the storage and treatment of leachate, it becomes a problem only during excessive rainfall. To resolve this, MCG has procured tankers and suction machines for leachate, the officials said.
TOI had reported on July 27 that the DC had directed MCG and Ecogreen to expedite waste processing at the landfill, and that the committee would visit the landfill site soon.
On fire preparedness, MCG officials said that they have procured methane detectors and aerate the site when high levels of methane emissions are detected.
“The two most important points that we told the committee was our requirement of around 100 acres of additional land and the lack of takers for refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The committee members said their recommendations will include additional land parcels,” said a senior MCG official present during the visit.
The committee was constituted by Haryana chief secretary Sanjeev Kaushal after the National Green Tribunal directed the authorities to visit the landfill site and submit a report on the status of legacy waste processing. Panel members that visited the landfill included CPCB scientist Ritesh Prasad Gurung and HSPCB chief environment engineer Balraj Ahlawat.
DC Nishant Yadav did not respond to calls and messages by TOI. An MCG official said, “The committee will have to submit a report of their observations and recommendations to the chief secretary, who will further submit the report to the NGT.”