Gurgaon: MCG has said that it’s not in a position to give a firm deadline on the Bandhwari landfill matter, ahead of a National Green Tribunal (NGT) hearing. NGT will hear the matter on Wednesday.In an affidavit filed before NGT on Monday, MCG has admitted that it cannot give any deadline for processing the entire legacy waste at the site and has sought time till Nov-Dec to determine the completion date.The civic body said the exact date for completion of processing of the entire legacy waste could be determined only in Nov-Dec 2026, after obtaining govt approval for processing the balance waste that will remain after the current contracts are exhausted.According to the MCG affidavit, there are currently 17.2 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of waste to be processed at the landfill as of Aug 16. In the first eight months of 2026, 3.6 lakh MT was processed by the agencies up to Aug 16.Two agencies were initially contracted in Jan 2026 to process 14 lakh MT of legacy waste at Bandhwari landfill. MCG secured approval for an additional 2.8 lakh MT, taking the total quantity approved for remediation to 16.8 lakh MT. A monthly action plan targets cumulative processing of 14 lakh MT by Feb 2027. But even if that target is achieved, the Bandhwari problem will not be over.MCG says that, under the existing agreement, about 13.2 lakh MT is the balance quantity to be processed by March 2027. The agencies are contracted to process 16.8 lakh MT in total, which would leave about 4 lakh MT of existing legacy waste unprocessed.A parallel problem is the continued addition of fresh municipal solid waste to the landfill. MCG says it has identified and finalised an alternative site for collection and treatment of daily generated fresh waste. The new facility is expected to become operational on Feb 25, 2027. Until then, fresh waste will continue to be transported to Bandhwari.The civic body estimates that approximately 3.25 lakh MT of additional fresh waste will be added to the landfill during this intervening period. That could leave roughly 7.2 lakh MT (3.2 lakh MT fresh waste + 4 lakh MT legacy waste unprocessed) of waste at the site by March 2027, according to the corporation’s calculation.“For this balance waste of over 7 lakh MT, we are planning another intervention and will send a proposal to the govt for administrative approval in advance. The exact date for completion of the entire legacy-waste processing will then be determined only in Nov-Dec 2026, after approval for processing the balance waste is obtained, so we have sought more time to fix the deadline,” MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya told TOI, adding, “We are meeting our monthly targets and will ensure that timelines are strictly complied with.”MCG has also informed NGT that it is also working with a private consultancy firm to develop a waste-to-energy (WtE) project.The firm is assisting the civic body in preparing the project and assessing the technical and financial requirements for converting processed municipal solid waste into energy, the affidavit said.The affidavit also lays out a Rs 24.9-crore detailed project report (DPR) for managing leachate at the landfill.This plan was also mentioned in the last affidavit filed by MCG in NGT.The DPR includes a 150-KLD leachate treatment plant, an RCC boundary wall along the landfill-forest interface to prevent seepage, sedimentation and screening tanks, pump rooms, internal roads and drainage infrastructure.MCG said the DPR was prepared and submitted to directorate of urban local bodies for approval.In the interim, the civic body has also submitted that it has installed additional trommels near the forest/pond side of the landfill and is creating a buffer zone of around 1-2 acres.
