Activist flags ‘failed assurances’ to NGT after fire at Bandhwari landfill, seeks probe by pollution control body

Published 3 July 2026 · india

A major fire at the Bandhwari landfill last month has triggered a fresh complaint to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board. Environmental activist Vaishali Rana

A major fire at the Bandhwari landfill last month has triggered a fresh complaint to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board. Environmental activist Vaishali Rana in her July 1 complaint alleged that the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) failed to honour fire-prevention commitments it gave to the Green Tribunal last year. Rana, the petitioner in an NGT case pertaining to solid waste management at the Bandhwari, said the landfill — located in the ecologically fragile Aravalis — caught fire again on June 25 this year despite MCG’s affidavit dated December 15, 2025, which claimed that “comprehensive fire prevention and monitoring systems” were in place.

The NGT had recorded those submissions in its December 2025 order. According to the complaint, MCG had told NGT that it deployed four portable methane detectors, two fire tenders round-the-clock in summer, four round-the-clock supervisors, 29 closed circuit television cameras (CCTV), high-mast lights, infrared thermometers, and fire extinguishers. It also cited hotspot excavation by backhoe loader, step cutting of waste heaps, and compaction to release trapped methane. “Yet the ground reality has completely contradicted these assurances,” Ms. Rana wrote to the HSPCB member secretary. Eyewitnesses said the June 25 fire started around 6 a.m. and lasted till 1 p.m. Another fire in April 2026 reportedly lasted for 50 hours, the complaint said.

The landfill has seen repeated fires over the years, drawing Supreme Court attention. Rana said the recurrence “strongly indicates either serious negligence, non-compliance, failure of monitoring systems, or misrepresentation” of infrastructure status. She has asked HSPCB to conduct a surprise inspection to verify the physical availability and working condition of equipment promised by MCG, and to direct the corporation to produce CCTV footage of the site and firefighting operations for independent review. The complaint seeks legal action, including environmental compensation and prosecution, if violations or false declarations are found. It also calls for a joint inspection by HSPCB, Central Pollution Control Board, Forest and Wildlife Departments to assess damage to the Aravali ecosystem, wildlife corridors, air quality in nearby villages, and to document daily methane generation at Bandhwari.

“The fire from the landfill releases toxic gases and particulate matter, impacting villages, residents, wildlife habitats and groundwater,” Ms. Rana said, urging the HSPCB to submit its findings to NGT. Repeated calls and messages to Joint Commissioner, Swachh Bharat Mission, MCG, Preetpal Singh, to seek his response went unanswered.