Bandhwari landfill: The Aravalli Bachao regularly organized awareness raising events
New Delhi:
Every day, a load of smoldering garbage arrives at Bandhwari, one of the largest landfills in northern India. Hundreds of trees have been felled to accommodate the harmful 2,000 tonnes of unseparated waste that arrives every day from the two most populous towns of Haryana – Gurugram and Faridabad. Not only is this causing massive pollution, but it also affects Aravalli’s environmentally sensitive range.
Of the 30 acres of Aravalli land used as landfill, 14.86 acres fall under the Aravalli Plantation Project, which according to previous Supreme Court rulings gives the land legal “forest status” with protection under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
Protests and demonstrations have continued over time to stop the contamination which is also affecting a number of animals around the landfill. The Wildlife Institute of India has also confirmed the presence of leopards, nilgais, palm civets, rhesus macaques and other animals around the wildlife-rich area.
Aravalli Bachao, a group of climate change activists from Delhi, Gurgaon and neighboring regions, have held regular protests in the region to raise awareness of the issue. Campaigners want the dump to be moved.
The Bandhwari landfill is estimated to contain around 35 lakh tonnes of untreated mixed waste
The landfill was also established over an abandoned 250-foot-deep mine pit that is very close to the groundwater aquifer. The site is also close to the last patch of indigenous Aravalli forest, a grove sacred to the locals.
Groundwater and water sources around the area were also contaminated due to toxic leachate released from the landfill.
The air was not spared either.
“Previously, the air in this area was clean and there was no pollution. Since this landfill has been put up here, we have faced many problems. It is difficult to breathe when the wind blows because it brings a very foul smell with A lot of people getting sick here, ”said Rajkumar, 40, who lives in Bandhwari village.
It is estimated that the Bandhwari landfill contains around 35 lakh tonnes of untreated mixed waste which has accumulated over 12 years. It affects wildlife, soil, water and humans all around.
Aravalli Bachao activists want Bandhwari landfill to be moved
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) does not yet have an alternative treatment facility to divert waste.
Residents also opposed plans to build a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in the Aravallis, saying they had not performed efficiently in the rest of the country. The Aravalli Bachao group is also against the WTE factory because they say it will do more harm than good.
A radical solution is needed for this deadly problem. Solid waste management is absolutely necessary, says an activist from the Aravali Bachao group.
“Biomedical waste is also on the rise since the coronavirus pandemic. This waste is also thrown into the landfill, making it more dangerous. It is immediately necessary to enforce the solid waste management rules of 2016 and to follow the Indore model of waste management. . This will ensure a waste reduction of around 80%, ”says one activist.
