Gurgaon: A cancer prevalence survey in villages located within a 5 km radius of the Bandhwari landfill is on the cards.Amid growing concerns that prolonged exposure to pollution and toxic leachate from the waste treatment plant may be affecting public health, the health department is preparing to conduct the survey. Officials said a similar survey will be undertaken in another locality in Gurgaon — likely Sohna or Bhondsi — to establish a comparative baseline.The move follows directions from Union minister of state for statistics and programme implementation Rao Inderjit Singh, who asked the health department during a meeting in Gurgaon to assess possible health impacts linked to the landfill site.Chief medical officer Lokveer Singh confirmed that the deputy civil surgeon has been tasked with leading the survey. “We will analyse data available on the NCD (non-communicable diseases) portal, and ASHA workers can also go house to house to check the status. It can be done in two ways,” the CMO said. Health screening may also be undertaken as part of the exercise, Singh added.The exercise will not only record suspected cancer cases but also calculate prevalence by comparing the total population, screened population and identified cancer patients in both areas. Officials said this ratio-based analysis will help determine whether cancer prevalence is significantly higher near the landfill than in other parts of the district.Officials explained that the survey is aimed at evaluating the impact of leachate generated from solid waste at Bandhwari, which residents and environmentalists have repeatedly alleged is contaminating groundwater and soil in nearby areas. The Bandhwari landfill has remained under scrutiny for years over recurring fires, untreated waste accumulation and complaints of groundwater contamination.Around 14 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste remain piled at the site, with disposal work being carried out on priority. Residents of nearby villages have long raised concerns over rising pollution and its possible health impacts, pointing to recurring illnesses and suspected cancer cases. Environmentalists have also flagged the risks posed by untreated leachate seeping into aquifers that supply drinking water to surrounding communities.Officials said the comparative survey, by comparing population and patient data, is expected to provide crucial evidence on whether prolonged exposure to landfill pollution is contributing to elevated cancer risks in the area. The findings, they added, will be critical in shaping future health interventions and policy decisions.In 2024, health screening of 300 residents living in three villages around the Bandhwari landfill was carried out in Jan to evaluate the effect of soil and water contamination from leachate generated by garbage piling up in the area. At that survey, health department officials said they didn’t find any indication of a major cancer outbreak in the area.The exercise was initiated after the National Green Tribunal told the health department on Jan 9, 2024, to test the quality of groundwater at four villages around the landfill and check the health condition of residents living there.
