Bandhwari Landfill

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Last edited June 17, 2025



Bandhwari Landfill is a large municipal solid waste site located near Gurugram, Haryana, India. Established in 2008, it serves as the primary dumping ground for waste from Gurugram and Faridabad. Over the years, it has drawn criticism for frequent fires, groundwater contamination, and encroachment into the ecologically sensitive Aravalli Range.[1][2][3][4]

History

The Bandhwari landfill was commissioned in 2008 to manage growing waste from Gurugram and Faridabad. Initially designed to handle around 1,200 tonnes of waste per day, it currently receives approximately 2,000 tonnes daily.[5][6][7]

A municipal waste composition analysis in 2025 revealed that plastic comprises approximately 25% of total waste entering the landfill, significantly contributing to its bulk and fire risk.[8][9][10]

Environmental impact

Groundwater contamination

Studies by the Central Pollution Control Board have found that leachate from the landfill has polluted local groundwater. Nearby residents report the water is unfit for drinking and may pose serious health risks.[11] A 2023 study in the Journal of Water and Health concluded that ingestion of groundwater from the surrounding area posed potential health risks due to heavy metal contamination.[12]

In 2025, leachate was reported to have been illegally sprayed outside the landfill compound to settle dust pollution, prompting a government inquiry.[13]

Aravalli degradation

The landfill borders the Aravalli Range, a fragile ecological zone. Environmentalists warn that dumping and spillage have harmed native flora and fauna. Fires and unregulated operations have affected forest patches adjacent to the site.[14][15][16][17]

Fires

Bandhwari has witnessed frequent landfill fires, with over 70 incidents reported between March and June 2024.[3] Fires are primarily caused by methane accumulation from decomposing organic waste. In April 2025, major fires occurred on 3, 6, 21, and 26 April, producing thick smoke and noxious fumes.[18]

Firefighting efforts have been difficult; officials report that extinguishing one blaze often leads to another smouldering ember reigniting.[19] The Supreme Court of India has expressed concern over the situation, noting the severe environmental and health implications.[20]

Following criticism, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the installation of methane sensors, fire safety equipment, patrolling teams, and fencing at the site.[21]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bandhwari landfill: Four acres for WTE plant to be cleared by November. Hindustan Times(25 September 2021). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  2. ↑ Poisonous leachate poses health hazards for those in and around Bandhwari landfill. Millennium Post(24 August 2021). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Gurugram gasps: Bandhwari landfill fire doused but toxic fumes linger. National Herald(30 April 2025). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  4. ↑ Bandhwari landfill continues to choke Aravalli region, say green activists. The Times of India(6 March 2024). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  5. ↑ Problems persist as power and waste recycling plants at Bandhwari lie defunct for 3 years. Millennium Post(22 August 2016). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  6. ↑ Waste disposal at Bandhwari landfill picks up pace, MCG eyes December deadline to clear site. Hindustan Times(5 March 2023). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  7. ↑ 100 cr plan for waste disposal at Bandhwari landfill. Hindustan Times(17 December 2024). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  8. ↑ Waste analysis shows one-fourth of trash at Gurgaon landfills is plastic. The Times of India(5 April 2025). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  9. ↑ Fire at Bandhwari landfill site raises concerns; no casualties reported. Daijiworld(23 April 2024). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  10. ↑ Why Bandhwari is at risk of blaze. The Times of India(4 May 2022). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  11. ↑ NGT tells Gurgaon civic body to form team to check groundwater contamination in villages near Bandhwari landfill. The Indian Express(16 January 2024). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  12. ↑ A chemometric and ingestion hazard prediction study of groundwater contamination near Bandhwari landfill site. Journal of Water and Health({Template:Year).
  13. ↑ Leachate dumped outside landfill site to settle dust pollution, MCG orders inquiry. The Times of India(6 May 2025). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  14. ↑ 24+ hours & counting, fire still rages in Bandhwari landfill. The Times of India(25 April 2025). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  15. ↑ The Aravallis: A Fading Green Legacy Amidst Urbanisation. Sankala Foundation(May 16, 2025). Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  16. ↑ Plunder of the Aravallis risks lives in north India. Mongabay-India(November 19, 2018). Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  17. ↑ THE VANISHING ARAVALLIS. Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies(December 2018). Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  18. ↑ Bandhwari landfill fire doused but toxic fumes fill sky. Hindustan Times(27 April 2025). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  19. ↑ 'We douse one smouldering ember, another starts': Firefighters toil at Bandhwari landfill in Gurgaon. The Indian Express(28 April 2025). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  20. ↑ Supreme Court shocked by recurring fires at Bandhwari landfill. LiveLaw(2 May 2025). Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  21. ↑ 5-member panel to implement fire prevention measures at Gurgaon’s Bandhwari landfill. The Times of India(5 May 2025). Retrieved 24 May 2025.

Further reading

  • Remaking urban environments: The political ecology of air pollution in Delhi. Environment and Planning A({Template:Year).
  • The afterlives of “waste”: Notes from India for a minor history of capitalist surplus. Antipode({Template:Year).
  • Governance of waste in India: Municipal solid waste management in Delhi and Bangalore. Economic and Political Weekly({Template:Year).
  • Dealing with India’s plastic waste: Can the informal sector help?. Economic and Political Weekly({Template:Year).
  • Competing systems of waste management in urban India: The emergence of waste-to-energy technologies. Economic and Political Weekly({Template:Year).
  • Medical garbage and the making of neoliberalism in India. American Ethnologist({Template:Year).
  • Smart cities, slum-free cities: From modernization to neoliberal urban development in India. Economic and Political Weekly({Template:Year).

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