Facility key to clearing landfill may be shifted

Gurgaon: The chief guest for the flyover inauguration, CM Manohar Lal Khattar, raised the proposal of a material recovery facility (MRF) near Basai village with residents on Saturday, trying to assure them that the facility would enable the temporary clearing of the Bandhwari landfill and not turn into a permanent dump site.
But residents still opposed the idea, with the CM concluding that the possibility of creating the facility on another piece of land, suggested by Badshapur MLA Rakesh Daultabad, would be explored.
Earlier, the proposal was to build the MRF and processing unit on a five-acre piece of land near Basai village and shift the waste from a 10-acre-land at Bandhwari to that facility. It would enable the construction of a waste-to-energy plant at Bandhwari, which would help process waste and prevent its further accumulation in the city. However, Basai residents have long opposed the idea, fearing that it would lead to foul smell, leachate percolation and groundwater contamination in their area, as has happened in Bandhwari, impacting their health in the long term.
Addressing these concerns, the chief minister said, “We started the Bandhwari waste-to-energy project several years ago, but while starting it, there was already a big pile of garbage at the site. We gave the work to a company that set a condition — clearing a 10-acre piece of land at the site for the plant. We started clearing waste for this purpose, but every time we cleared some waste, more would turn up from Gurgaon and Manesar and replace it.”
“Now, five to six acres are clear, but if we want the plant to start operating soon, more waste needs to go. That is why we need a site for the waste temporarily, i.e., for six to eight months. Once the plant becomes operational, garbage will keep getting cleared. Residents must not think the Basai site will be a permanent dump; it is only a temporary situation,” he said.
His assurance, however, fell on deaf ears, with residents pointing out that the facility would have fatal effects on their families and them. The CM then asked the residents to find alternate 10-acre land for the MRF and processing unit.
The Daultabad MLA came up with a solution, communicating to Khattar that he already had a piece of land in mind for the purpose. Agreeing to explore that, Khattar said, “We will survey the land that the MLA suggested. I will see it in the next seven to ten days. If it is found suitable, the facility will come up there.”
The city has four MRF facilities, one in Badshapur and the others in sectors 11, 44, and 61. All of them became operational this year. At an MRF, waste such as paper, rubber, glass, plastic, and metal are segregated into eight categories, while organic waste gets converted into compost.
The segregated waste then gets handed over to the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon-empanelled scrap dealers for recycling.