Forest areas turn into dump yard

Dumping of animal carcasses and construction waste in green belt at DLF Phase 1 continue to rile residents in the city. The site emanates foul smell, endangering the lives of people residing in several areas.

Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) is the competent authority, which checks the menace and takes lawful action in this regard, but nothing has been done so far in this regard. The forest department can take the initiative to ensure that no forest area is used for such activity. “I am not aware of the issue. I will be able to comment only after inquiring about this,” said Pankaj Goel, conservator of forest.

However, the officials of the two departments have been mute spectators and haven’t paid any heed to the issue.

According to the residents, cows and buffaloes are slaughtered and tonsured and their bones are dumped anywhere, triggering many hygiene problems. “The MCG is responsible to fix or locate a place for disposal of carcass in Gurgaon,” said Harish Capoor, an environmentalist and resident of G-block, DLF City phase I.

The residents said the carcass throwing activity has been going on for nearly a year now in an eco-fragile and eco-sensitive forest area.

“Every morning, we wake up smelling a foul stench owing to hundreds of rib cages and horns decaying in an open space,” said GB Singh, a resident.

When asked, Sumit Dhankhar, medical officer (MO), MCG, said, “This is true that there is no particular place allocated by the MCG for dumping animal carcasses, but we will take appropriate action soon.”