80 acres of Aravalli lost in Bandhwari blaze; no action yet against offenders
Even as Haryana grapples with the environmental fallout of the massive fire at Bandhwari landfill that scorched over 80 acres of Aravalli forest, authorities are yet to take any penal action against those responsible. Residents from Faridabad and Gurugram, alongside environmentalists from across Delhi-NCR, have written to Chief Minister, demanding strict punishment for the waste contractors allegedly responsible for the fire.
“They have burnt the forest. The fire was simmering for at least two days and even now, though it has been doused, our residential areas are filled with smoke and people are choking,” the citizen collective’s letter stated. “We are waiting to know who is responsible, but there’s only silence. Waste management should be handled by expert agencies, but here we have politically backed, inefficient contractors who spread waste in the forest and then, unable to treat it, allow it to burn. Aravalli has never seen such a massive fire. We need action.”
The fire, which broke out on April 26, raged for four consecutive days and required over 3.5 lakh litres of water to be contained. Despite the fire being extinguished two days ago, the area remains blanketed in toxic smoke, raising serious public health and ecological concerns.
MCG Commissioner Ashok Kumar Garg, when contacted by The Tribune, confirmed that no punitive action has yet been taken against the contractors. “We have fined them for not adhering to treatment deadlines. As of now, our focus is on managing the aftermath of the fire and improving air quality. We will penalise those responsible after that,” he said. Garg added that teams led by executive engineers and sub-divisional officers are still deployed at the site to monitor emissions and prevent fresh flare-ups.
Residents, however, remain unconvinced. “This isn’t the first fire. Every time there is even a minor incident, we suffer. Despite repeated warnings about uncontrolled dumping and recurring fires, authorities continue to ignore the root cause. This is not an isolated event — it’s a pattern of negligence,” said Harbir Harsana, a resident of Bandhwari.
The incident has also drawn political flak. “BJP is a government of contractors. The city is suffering because blacklisted and incompetent firms are hired. We saw the same with the previous sanitation contractor. The administration spends hundreds of crores, and residents get nothing in return. The CM must take action against the contractors, officials, and even local leaders involved,” said Pankaj Dawar of Gurugram Congress.
Haryana Tribune