Waste polluting NCR's groundwater: NGT seeks Centre's reply

The National Green Tribunal today sought the government's response from on a plea seeking relocation of a waste treatment plant and landfill site from Aravalli hill area in Gurgaon, claiming it has led to water contamination in the area.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Delhi and Haryana governments, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and others seeking their replies by October 28.
The Tribunal was hearing a plea by Gurgaon residents Vivek Kamboj and Amit Chaudhery seeking directions to relocate the Bandhwari waste treatment plant and landfill site away from the forest and Aravali hill area.

According to the plea, Municipal Corporations of Gurgaon and Faridabad were disposing of waste in open in Aravalli hills forest area which was generating leachate (liquid that drains from a landfill) resulting in ground water pollution.
The petition, filed through advocate Rahul Choudhary, claimed that the groundwater of South Delhi, Gurgaon and Faridabad was at risk of getting polluted by a huge toxic lake of untreated municipal solid waste in Aravalli forests, formed by leakage of muck from waste treatment plant in Bandhwari.
"The waste is being dumped in the open in a 30 acre site inside the Aravalli forest area and leachate is generated which is flowing down to the seasonal water body/abandoned mining pits of Aravalli hills.

"This is contaminating the ground water and polluting the surface water of this critical catchment and groundwater re-charge area which also serves as a vital water source for the wildlife," the plea said.
It has sought directions to Haryana government, state pollution control board to take immediate measures for restoration of the area and the lake.
The Bandhwari municipal waste treatment plant off the Gurgaon-Faridabad Road is not functional currently but continued dumping of waste at the plant has led to a stream of dirty black water or leachate flowing into Aravalli forest polluting the nearby aquifers.