Now, MCG shortlists sites in Manesar, Nuh to divert waste

GURGAON: Pivoting away from alternatives to the Bandhwari landfill chosen earlier, MCG has now shortlisted two more areas – 100 acres of land each in Manesar and Ujina village of Nuh – to divert the city’s daily waste.

Officials said on Monday that the corporation has written to the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) and the state government to assess if these plots can be acquired. Eventually, one of the two plots will be utilised to set up a waste processing plant and dump garbage, they said.
The search for alternative sites to the Bandhwari landfill began last year, when the National Green Tribunal set in motion a timeline to clear the mountain of garbage. Currently, Gurgaon dumps 1,200 metric tonnes of waste at Bandhwari and Faridabad, another 1,000MT daily.
“A response from HSIIDC is awaited on land identified in Manesar.For Ujina village land in Nuh district, we are making a proposal to send to the urban local bodies (ULB) department. We will need permission for land acquisition as this is private land,” a senior MCG official said.
Once the site is decided, the official said, it can be used to deal with waste from Gurgaon city, but also Manesar and Nuh. Until now, MCG had identified a land parcel in Kherki Majra, while the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) had chosen Sotai and Pali. Locals and environmental activists had vehemently opposed the use of these sites for dumping waste, alleging that these areas would meet a fate similar to Bandhwari.
Residents of Bandhwari have, for decades, complained about groundwater contamination and environmental damage to the Aravalis — a charge for which NGT had told the Haryana government to pay compensation of Rs 100 crore last year. In May, the Supreme Court also took up a petition by Pali residents and directed MCF to maintain status quo on acquisition of land to set up a waste treatment plant in the village. The case is pending.