Around 710,000 metric tonnes (MT) of waste is expected to remain unprocessed at Gurugram’s Bandhwari landfill even after the current waste-processing contracts end in March 2027, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday, even as it races to clear the site’s mounting garbage.
The matter concerns waste management, toxic leachate runoff and recurring fires along the Aravalli belt. The landfill held 3.04 million MT of legacy waste in January 2023, according to MCG’s audit. Between January 2023 and August 16 this year, another 2.66 million MT of fresh municipal solid waste was added, taking the total waste load to 5.7 million MT. The MCG has processed 3.98 million MT, leaving 1.72 million MT at the site. In July 2026, MCG processed 0.1 million MT of waste, while the August figure is still being calculated. MCG said an alternative fresh-waste processing facility will become operational by February 2027, while continued dumping at Bandhwari will add about 325,000 MT. Along with legacy waste, around 710,000 MT will remain by March 2027, requiring a fresh proposal for administrative sanction . Fresh waste from the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) stopped being dumped at the Bandhwari landfill on June 25, 2026, after directions issued by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar following his inspection of the site on May 28, 2026.
In a status report submitted by way of an affidavit by MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya, the civic body said it would be able to determine the exact completion date for clearing the landfill only by November or December this year and sought an extension to submit its final roadmap. MCG joint commissioner (Swachh Bharat Mission) Preetpal Singh, who appeared before the tribunal, told HT, “We will be discussing the steps suggested by NGT. He said steps would be taken for early processing, but MCG would need time to finalise an alternative site.
MCG is clearing a 1-2 acre buffer with trommels to prevent contaminated runoff reaching the natural pond and forest behind the landfill, where high-capacity drains are proposed. A ₹ 24.88 crore detailed project report submitted to the state government proposes a 150 kilolitres per day dedicated leachate treatment plant, an Reinforced Cement Concrete boundary wall along the forest stretch and internal drainage infrastructure.
