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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
Special Correspondent

Activists seek action after report reveals toxic discharge into forest

Bandhwari landfill receives almost 2,000 tonnes of solid waste daily from Gurugram and Faridabad. (Source: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR)

Citing a latest report by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) showing discharge of highly toxic and untreated leachate into the forest area behind Bandhwari landfill here, the environmentalists have demanded that the contract of Ecogreen, the company handling waste management in Gurugram and Faridabad, be suspended and action taken against the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram.

In a letter to Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan, and senior officials of the HSPCB and Forest Department, the environmentalists said the leachate testing report for the sample collected earlier this month confirmed the presence of certain toxins on a much higher side than the permissible limits.

Untreated leachate

“The report shows that highly toxic, untreated leachate is being discharged in the forest. Based on this report, Ecogreen’s contract should be suspended,” read the letter.

Vaishali Rana, one of the environmentalists, said that for the past three years she had been reporting the utter failure of Ecogreen firm and the MCG to control and treat the leachate emanating out of the landfill.

“I have reported this to the authorities at least on six occasions before that Ecogreen was found discharging leachate into the Aravalis. On August 12, HSPCB officials collected leachate samples from three places from the landfill (Leachate Treatment Plant) and also outside the landfill in the Aravalis. The leachate testing report was made available to me a couple of days ago by the HSPCB and it clearly speaks of the presence of certain toxins that are on a higher side,” said Ms. Rana in the letter jointly written with Vivek Kamboj and Col. (retd.) S.S. Oberoi, both environmentalists.

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