Poisonous leachate poses health hazards for those in and around Bandhwari landfill

Gurugram: The inability of the Gurugram district administration to effectively tackle waste at the Bandhwari landfill site has once again begun to pose health hazards for residents nearby with the overflowing of leachate.

The overflowing of leachate is in turn poisoning and contaminating the groundwater in nearby villages of Bandhwari, Ghata, Gwal Pahari and Mangar. With an estimated population of 10,000 residents in these villages, not only is there a fear of people contracting water-borne diseases like Diahorrea and Typhoid but also deadly diseases like Cancer.

The situation of overflowing of leachate, the liquid that emanates from solid waste, worsens during the monsoon season or those days when there is heavy rainfall. Acknowledging the concerns of green activists who have been raising the issue of overflowing of leachate, public officials when spoken to stated that efforts are being carried out to tackle this situation.

"We have been informed about the leachate solution in Bandhwari. We are assessing the situation and making sure that groundwater does not get contaminated with overflowing of leachate," said an official from the South Haryana Forest department.

This is not for the first time that officials of the Gurugram district have had to face challenges owing to piles of waste being dumped at Bandhwari landfill site.

Earlier in June when there was intense summer, on two occasions there were fires reported from the solid waste dumped at Bandhwari landfill site.

The Central Pollution Control Board in January submitted an official report to the National Green Tribunal highlighting the worsening situation at Bandhwari landfill site.

In its report, the public agency has stated that the amount of waste at Bandhwari landfill site has increased from 25 lakh tonnes to 33 lakh tonnes. Moreover, large amounts of untreated waste deposited has also resulted in an increase in height of waste from 36 metres to 40 metres. The CPCB came down heavily on the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram and Municipal Corporation of Faridabad for not taking effective measures for treatment of waste at the landfill site.

Commissioned in 2008, Bandhwari landfill site nestled in the green belt of Aravallis site was created with an objective of segregation and recycling waste generated from Gurgaon as well as Faridabad.

Initial plans were to start a plastic recycling and waste to energy power plant at the site.The plans however did not work out and for the last 13 years the Gurugram district administration is struggling to effectively recycle the waste. There has been a long pending demand to remove the landfill site from the present location. The lack of effective space however has resulted in public agencies continuing with the location.