Patli Hazipur site declared most feasible for Gurgaon waste management

GURGAON: A five-member panel tasked with identifying suitable land for the collection and processing of Gurgaon’s daily waste has deemed a 40-acre site in Patli Hazipur village, located in Farrukhnagar tehsil, as “fully feasible.” The site is one of 10 locations assessed by the committee, which was led by MCG additional commissioner Ravinder Yadav. While most of the sites examined were outside municipal limits, the panel has also shortlisted a few within the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG).

The effort to identify a new site for waste management is not new. In December 2022, the MCG sought environmental and forest clearance for 20 acres of forest land in Balola village from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The aim was to use the Balola site to divert fresh waste and ease the load on the overburdened Bandhwari landfill. In exchange, the civic body proposed allocating 20 acres of land in Nathupur to the forest department.

The Farrukhnagar site, located approximately 22 km from the MCG’s Sector 34 office, was identified as a top choice due to its proximity to the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway, which makes it logistically convenient. MCG additional commissioner Ravinder Yadav stated, “We are in the process of identifying a suitable land parcel in the district, including within and outside the MCG limits. A decision will be taken soon.”

Among the other sites assessed, a 50-acre parcel in Ganghola, Sohna, was classified as “semi-feasible.” However, concerns such as the presence of keekar trees and the site’s distance from nearby villages were noted. Another 25-acre site in Kasan, adjacent to a proposed waste-to-energy plant in Manesar, was also considered, but its proximity to residential areas posed challenges.

The remaining seven sites were deemed unsuitable for waste management due to various constraints. These included proximity to residential areas, an Army firing range, railway tracks, village roads, and other logistical issues. Locations such as Ghamdoj, Gwalior (Manesar), Silani, Madhawar, Samarthala, Gugana, and Uncha Mazra were all ruled out. Notably, the Uncha Mazra site was found unsuitable as a stadium had already been constructed there.

The search for a new waste management site follows directives issued by Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during a review meeting on May 28. He instructed officials to stop the accumulation of fresh waste at the Bandhwari landfill and identify an alternative location for handling the city’s daily waste. An MCG official highlighted the challenges posed by Gurgaon’s dense urban development, noting that residential, commercial, and industrial establishments are located within every 500 metres. The official emphasized the need for public cooperation in addressing the city’s waste management issues.