Waste processing at the Bandhwari landfill, located along the Gurugram–Faridabad Road, has remained stalled for over a year, leading to a massive pile of garbage exceeding 3.04 million tonnes, according to data from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG).
The MCG will open tenders on November 7 to appoint a new agency for large-scale biomining and disposal of legacy waste. Officials said the fresh tender will focus on scientific waste processing and stricter monitoring to prevent further delays. “The new tender opening is critical. We are determined to restart biomining work at full scale and ensure strict performance timelines. The plan is to clear the waste by March 2027,” said Sandeep Sihag, executive engineer, MCG.
Environmental activists and residents, however, are not convinced. They pointed to repeated assurances and stalled projects over the years, citing months of inactivity prior to the decision to issue tenders. “The earlier contractors abandoned work midway. Since January this year, no waste has been biomined. The pile keeps growing, and it has become a serious concern for both cities,” said Vaishali Rana, a Gurugram-based eco-activist.
According to MCG records, about 3.04 million tonnes of waste had accumulated at Bandhwari by early 2023. Nearly 660,000 were processed between January and December last year before the civic body terminated contracts with two private concessionaires over slow progress and repeated violations. Since then, no waste has been processed. Officials said the landfill continues to receive about 1,800 tonnes of fresh garbage every day, including around 1,200 tonnes from Gurugram and 600–700 tonnes from Faridabad.
Spread across 30 acres, the landfill was originally set up to handle waste from Gurugram but has also been receiving Faridabad’s garbage since 2012. Over time, it has turned into one of Haryana’s largest and most hazardous dumping grounds. Toxic smoke, leachate, and recurring fires have caused distress among residents of nearby Bandhwari, Gwal Pahari, and Mangar villages. Several studies by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) have confirmed groundwater contamination and high methane emissions in the area.
Officials admitted that the year-long halt in waste processing has undone much of the earlier progress. The MCG has now revised its tender norms to include biomining, composting, and scientific waste treatment as an integrated process, with clear milestones and payments linked to actual progress. It has also proposed third-party monitoring and daily supervision by zonal officers.
Environmental activists remain cautious. “The authorities have been issuing similar statements for years. Unless there is daily on-ground work, the problem will only worsen,” said Vikram Singh, an environmental activist with Save Aravalli Forum. “The city generates nearly 1,200 tonnes of waste every day, but without decentralised segregation and in-situ composting, Bandhwari will never stop growing.”
Officials said that nearly 1.4 million tonnes of garbage have been biomined so far, while more than 1.5 million tonnes remain untreated, forming toxic mounds that dominate the forested Aravalli landscape. Even if new work begins by early 2026, the process could take over two years.
Residents of nearby villages said their lives have become unbearable due to the constant stench, smoke, and contamination. “We can’t drink groundwater anymore. The air becomes poisonous in summer as the dump catches fire. Every year, we are promised that the waste will be cleared, but the hill only grows higher,” said Rajesh Yadav, a resident of Bandhwari village.