Case filed against MCG officer over alleged Bandhwari landfill violations

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has filed prosecution in a sessions court against a Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) officer over alleged regulatory violations at the Bandhwari landfill.

The board said its July 6 notice cited alleged failures to secure required pollution-control consents and comply with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, as well as orders of the National Green Tribunal. The allegations refer to consent requirements under water- and air-pollution laws and provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act.

Separately, HSPCB imposed Rs 30.6 lakh in environmental compensation on MCG for alleged breach of CAQM Direction No. 91, which sets measures for preventing landfill fires and controlling related air pollution. An HSPCB inspection in April had found methane-monitoring systems were not working effectively and temperature-control measures were inadequate.

The landfill caught fire on June 25 in the section used for fresh waste. MCG told HSPCB that seven to eight fire tenders were deployed and the blaze was brought under control in about three-and-a-half hours, though smoke continued for roughly another two hours.

Bandhwari is a key waste-disposal site affecting Gurugram and nearby areas, making its fire-prevention and pollution-control measures important for local air quality. HSPCB said MCG already faces environmental compensation under earlier NGT directions, including a Rs 10 lakh monthly liability in the same matter.