Classic Hypocrisy: Union minister Manohar Lal, Architect of converting Gurugram into “Koodagram “Visits Bandhwari Landfill( Gurugram )in a Mask
Gustakhi Maaf, Haryana- Pawan Kumar -Bansal
with inputs by our enlightened reader, Vaishali Rana, Convenor, “Aravali Bachao citizens movement “Union Manohar Lal Khattar Visits Bandhwari Landfill .(Gurugram)wearing a mask.
The man behind the transformation of Gurugram into “Koodagram” — and the hypocrisy it represents.
After nearly a decade of proceedings before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding the Bandhwari landfill (OA 109/2022, earlier OA 514), the results remain negligible.
Some disturbing facts:
- Groundwater in at least five villages surrounding the landfill has been found contaminated, according to CPCB reports of 2017 and 2019.
- Residents report cancer cases in nearly every third or fourth household, yet no comprehensive government health survey has been conducted.
- The landfill occupies 32 acres within the Aravalli ecosystem and falls under protected areas notified under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA).
Shri Manohar Lal Khattar, now Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, recently visited the landfill and gave the Municipal Corporation a one-year deadline to address the crisis. He spoke of identifying a new dumping site but made no mention of implementing the mandatory Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016.
Ironically, Shri Khattar himself served as Chief Minister of Haryana for nearly a decade while the Bandhwari landfill deteriorated from bad to worse. During that period, he never championed the implementation of the Supreme Court-mandated SWM Rules, 2016, which are essential for scientific waste segregation and management in Gurugram, Faridabad, and other towns across Haryana.
His preferred solution continues to be Waste-to-Energy plants rather than strict implementation of the SWM Rules. This approach has contributed significantly to Gurugram drowning in its own waste and earning the unflattering nickname “Koodagram.”
The environmental and public health consequences are severe. Residents of seven to eight surrounding villages continue to bear the burden of pollution, contaminated water, and health risks, while wildlife habitats in the Aravallis face ongoing destruction.
The Bandhwari crisis is not merely a waste-management failure; it is a governance failure. Unless the SWM Rules, 2016 are implemented in letter and spirit, shifting waste from one location to another will only relocate the problem rather than solve it.
The people of Gurugram and the surrounding villages deserve accountability, scientific waste management, environmental restoration, and protection of public health—not another temporary fix.