NGT rebukes Ggm and F’bad civic bodies over rising legacy waste at Bandhwari landfill
The watchdog pointed out that there is no disclosure of the daily quantity of legacy waste currently being bio-remediated or mined, nor has the breakdown of various waste fractions and their subsequent disposal been provided
Gurugram: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday reprimanded the Municipal Corporations of Gurugram and Faridabad for their failure to manage the mounting legacy waste at the Bandhwari landfill. The environmental watchdog, during its hearing on April 15, observed with concern that despite prior affidavits and claims of progress, the total quantity of unprocessed waste has increased at the site instead of decreasing.
The bench, comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava (chairperson), Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Dr A Senthil Vel (expert member), was hearing two ongoing cases— Poonam Yadav vs Ecogreen Energy Pvt Ltd & Ors and Vivek Kamboj vs Union of India & Ors. The cases concern longstanding mismanagement of municipal solid waste and its environmental impact on the Aravalli region.
According to an affidavit dated April 9, submitted by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), the total unprocessed legacy waste as of March 31, 2025, stood at 11.32 lakh metric tonnes (MT), a significant rise from the 8.84 lakh MT figure disclosed in December 2024. The tribunal noted that instead of reducing the legacy waste, the figures show that the problem has worsened.
The watchdog pointed out that there is no disclosure of the daily quantity of legacy waste currently being bio-remediated or mined, nor has the breakdown of various waste fractions and their subsequent disposal been provided. Although contracts have been awarded for processing 14 lakh MT of waste, specific details such as the daily processing capacity and the management plan of waste fractions remain missing. MCG is reportedly processing only 218 tonnes per day (TPD) despite receiving nearly 1000 TPD of new waste daily.
Meanwhile, Faridabad is contributing an additional 415 TPD of waste while processing only 585 TPD, further burdening the Bandhwari site.
The NGT also criticised the lack of a consistent or transparent plan for setting up waste processing infrastructure. The previous proposal for a Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant has now been replaced by a torrefied charcoal project through a memorandum signed with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd. (NVVNL) on July 20, 2024. This facility, which promises to process 1500 TPD from Gurugram and 1200 TPD from Faridabad, will not be commissioned before 2027.
The tribunal has now directed the commissioners of both Gurugram and Faridabad municipal corporations to file fresh affidavits within six weeks. These affidavits must comprehensively detail the quantity of waste being treated daily, the machinery and infrastructure available, final disposal mechanisms for residual waste, and a definitive timeline for the complete remediation of legacy waste.
Further, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has been ordered to submit a separate affidavit disclosing the amount of environmental compensation (EC) levied and recovered from the two civic bodies. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has also submitted a fresh report on April 11, which will be formally placed on record.
Responding to the Tribunal’s observations, Ashok Kumar Garg, commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, said, “There are two private companies currently engaged in processing waste at the Bandhwari landfill, and the volume of processed waste has been increasing day by day. We are hopeful to clear the landfill site by June.”
The NGT has listed the matter for the next hearing on August 14.
The tribunal’s observations underline the urgent need for actionable, transparent, and scientifically sound waste management strategies in Gurugram and Faridabad to prevent further environmental degradation in the Aravalli region.
