Gurugram Tackles Landfill Crisis: Waste-to-Charcoal Plant in the Works

In a move to address the environmental challenges at the Bandhwari landfill, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has initiated preparations to conduct a scientific survey to assess the depth of underground waste at the site. This is part of a broader plan to remediate legacy waste and establish a waste-to-charcoal plant, which aims to curb pollution and ensure sustainable waste management.

Officials estimate that approximately 12 lakh metric tonnes of waste lie at the site, forming mounds nearly 20 metres high. The civic body will conduct borewell drilling at 12 different locations across the site to gauge how deeply the waste has penetrated underground. The findings will help evaluate subsurface contamination and groundwater condition, allowing the MCG to take corrective action for the new plant.

The MCG has appointed a consultant agency to advise on setting up the waste-to-charcoal facility at the Bandhwari site. Groundwork for the project is expected to begin by next month, with the goal of making the plant operational by December this year. Once operational, the facility is expected to significantly reduce the legacy waste, while also helping curb groundwater contamination and air pollution at the site.

Residents and environmentalists have consistently voiced concern over the landfill's impact on air and groundwater. The MCG believes that the proposed initiative will bring the much-needed relief to the communities affected. Though the move has been welcomed, environmentalists have stressed the importance of long-term planning and ensuring scientific waste segregation and sustainable waste management practices at the source.