Pvt agency under lens for illegally dumping waste in Mangar forest
A private agency hired to process legacy waste from the Bandhwari landfill is under fire after massive quantities of untreated garbage were found dumped in the ecologically sensitive Mangar forest in the Aravallis. The illegal activity, first exposed through photographs and videos shared by conservationists and reported by Hindustan Times on May 6, has triggered public outrage and demands for stringent action.
The Mangar forest — spread across 3,810 acres, with 1,132 acres protected under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA)—has become a fresh dumping ground for unprocessed legacy waste. Activists and locals say the waste, contaminated with microplastics, heavy metals, and toxic residue, is being dumped to level undulating terrain for creating illegal access roads and potentially encroach on land to build farmhouses.
Additional commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), Mahabir Parsad, confirmed that two contractors—Greentech and Adarsh Bharat Enviro Private Limited—have been summoned for questioning. 'We are investigating the matter thoroughly. Notices have been issued to both companies in the past. If violations are confirmed, we will impose hefty penalties,' Parsad said.
Vinay Mohan, the plant manager at Greentech, initially admitted the dumping occurred near a temple but later retracted the statement, claiming, 'Our vehicles were not involved. We conducted an internal investigation.'
Subh Narayan Mishra, site engineer at Adarsh Bharat, denied any involvement and said, 'We have not received any notice from MCG. Our GPS records can prove our vehicles did not dump waste illegally.'
MCG officials, aware of the development, added that Adarsh Bharat had played a significant role during the recent Bandhwari landfill fire, deploying their labour force for firefighting. 'But that does not give them a free pass to flout environmental norms,' said an official.
Conservationists say the Aravalli ecosystem is being silently strangled. 'This is not just dumping—it's a land grab tactic disguised as waste disposal,' said Vaishali Rana, local environmentalist monitoring the area. 'The forest is being buried under legacy waste to create motorable paths and build illegal structures.'
With the Bandhwari landfill mysteriously shrinking, despite no major processing breakthroughs, environmentalists now allege that the 'reduction' is a cover for illegal offloading in forest zones. 'The Aravallis are being sacrificed to protect vested interests,' said Roma J Vinayak, another environmentalist.
The civic body is expected to issue a detailed inquiry report within a week.
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