Latest news with #VaishaliRana
Time of India
22-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
344 trees to make way for key road expansion project in Gurgaon, greens fume
Gurgaon: GMDA has begun felling 344 trees along Vyapar Kendra Road – approximately 2km long – as part of a road expansion project. According to the forest department, permission for felling 344 trees along the master dividing road between sectors 27 and 43 was given on March 12. This comes amid concerns that no concrete plan for afforestation — typically requiring 10 times the number of trees felled — has been announced yet even as environmentalists are livid at the "shrinking green cover in the city". Environment activist Vaishali Rana said, "Permissions were granted to cut down trees, but an afforestation plan has not been submitted to carry out ten times plantation." According to the Forest Survey of India (FSI) report 2023, Haryana's forest cover decreased by 14sqkm from 2021 to 2023, with Gurgaon's tree cover at 12.9% of its geographical area. The FSI report 2021 pointed out that Haryana's forest cover increased by 1sqkm in 2021 compared to 2019. Gurgaon lost 2.5sqkm of forest cover between Oct 2019 and Feb 2020. At the same time, urban clusters such as Gurgaon and Faridabad have rapidly grown to make space for houses, businesses, roads and other infrastructure. For instance, 5,000 trees were felled to make way for flyovers and underpasses on NH8 in Gurgaon in 2017, and a year later, permission was granted to chop down 10,000 trees to widen the Sohna road. Residents and environmentalists have voiced their frustration over the lack of transparency regarding replantation efforts. Residents warn that the loss of these trees will exacerbate air pollution and heat levels in the city. Residents are now urging GMDA to publicly disclose its afforestation strategy and ensure that the city's green cover is restored. Without immediate action, the city risks losing more of its natural shade and worsening environmental conditions. A GMDA official said, "We will identify land soon and carry out afforestation." When asked why they haven't done compensatory plantation, the official said, "We were not aware." Prashant Yadav, a resident of Sushant Lok, said, "We are already struggling with rising temperatures and deteriorating air quality. Cutting down trees without a proper replantation plan is irresponsible." City-based environmentalist Vivek Kamboj said, "The govt has made no efforts to increase the city's green cover over the years and now it again has given a free hand to incompetent civic agencies to fell trees for unnecessary road expansion." "In the stretch where GMDA is planning expansion, the stretch has already reached its ultimate capacity and now felling more than 20-30 years of trees doesn't make sense. Also, the road cannot be expanded at certain stretches because there is already construction, so what is the point of the exercise," Kamboj said. As per the permission letter, the conditions which GMDA needs to fulfil to fell 344 trees are: "Only the numbered trees will be felled. No dragging of wood will be permitted. Felling after sunset and before sunrise will not be permitted. No fire will be allowed." The letter says, "No damage to unmarked trees will be caused during felling in the area and the owner will have to pay the compensation as determined by DFO for any such damage. The owner of the land shall be responsible for any illicit felling in the area and he will have to pay the compensation as determined by DFO for any such illicit felling. Approved subject to compensatory plantation of ten times the number of trees to be felled by the agency. " It is also notable that unlike Delhi, Haryana does not have a Tree Act of its own.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
As Haryana wildlife department asks for inspection of Bandhwari landfill, activists say ‘just a charade'
Gurgaon: Haryana's wildlife department last week directed its officials to inspect the Bandhwari waste treatment plant and list out all environmental norms that were being violated at the site. It was the fifth notice to be sent in less than 12 months to its officials and MCG, which was granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) in 2019 to operate the plant that lies alongside protected Aravali forests . Currently, most of the space at the site of the treatment plant is taken up by a mountain of garbage. Bandhwari is the only landfill where all municipal waste from Gurgaon and Faridabad is dumped every day even as treatment capacity has lagged. The wildlife department on May 12 issued its latest notice to Gurgaon's wildlife inspector. "…compliance of the conditions mentioned in the granted Wildlife NOC has not been met. You were instructed to conduct an on-site inspection and submit a report on the current status to this office, which has not been received yet," the notice by RK Jangra, wildlife divisional forest officer, read. Environmentalists alleged on Sunday that these notices were "bureaucratic charade" that has permitted authorities to degrade the Aravalis with no punitive action. "This cycle of non-compliance has been going on for years," said Vaishali Rana, an environmental activist. "The wildlife department issues notices, demands inspections, and yet the violations continue unabated. The most concerning aspect is that despite documented evidence of serious environmental infractions, the NOC granted in 2019 remains intact, raising questions about the efficacy of our regulatory framework," Rana said. Since June last year, the department has issued five notices – two of which are addressed to MCG for not complying with environmental norms, and the remaining to wildlife officials to inspect the site for taking action. Despite these letters, the plant's NOC has not been revoked – a move that experts argue should have been done years ago given extensive proof of non-compliance. In Aug 2024, for instance, a department survey found that solid waste from the landfill was obstructing a path, which was a critical access road used for filling water in ponds and patrolling by wildlife officials in the Aravalis. A field officer of the wildlife department told TOI that they "documented" encroachment of the Aravalis by dumping of waste and leachate in the Aug 2024 inspection. "This toxic leachate is infiltrating water sources that wildlife depends on. The potential for mass poisoning of protected species is not just theoretical — it is actively occurring while we exchange paperwork," the official said. "Consumption of this contaminated water by animals could be lethal. We are potentially looking at cascading effects throughout the food chain, yet our warnings seem to disappear into an administrative black hole," said Sunil Harsana, an ecologist. Environmentalists pointed to a pattern of flouting norms. The wildlife department in 2021 found in a survey that MCG's waste concessionaire was "intentionally" spilling thousands of litres of leachate from the landfill on to erstwhile mining pits in the Aravalis of Bandhwari. TOI reported earlier this month that truckers carrying waste to the landfill were seen dumping leachate outside the site to keep a check on dust raked up from their movement. MCG officials last week admitted that this was a "serious lapse" and ordered an inquiry into illegal discharge of leachate on the ground. Asked why the NOC was not revoked in spite of proof of violations, Jangra said he has directed the wildlife inspector to carry out an inspection. "We will take action based on findings of the report. We will also write to the chief wildlife warden of Haryana for action this time," he said. Rana said this was business as usual. "Field officers document violations, divisional officers issue notices, and then the process gets stalled at senior administrative levels. Meanwhile, the Aravalis continue to be poisoned day after day, year after year," she said. Asked about environmental norms, an MCG official said on Sunday that the corporation will "investigate" the matter to determine if there are any encroachments. "Waste processing operations have already begun at the landfill site, managed by two separate agencies. If we identify any unauthorised encouragement or violation, we will take swift action," the official said.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Zero-waste zones in Gurgaon: Set 5k-home target for complete segregation, corporations told
Gurgaon: The Urban Local Bodies (ULB) department has directed MCG and MCF to enforce source segregation plans and implement them in at least five residential colonies, which will be tagged as zero-waste zones . ULB secretary and commissioner Vikas Gupta told the corporations that they should implement a zone-wise and pilot-based initial targets to achieve 100% segregation were set at 5,000 households for the corporations, 2,000 households for municipal councils and 500 households for municipal committees. These households are expected to deliver 100% segregated waste to the concessionaire."It was discussed in the meeting that MCG and MCF specifically should make at least five zero waste colonies each. Zero waste implies complete segregation at source points, ensuring that dry waste reaches recyclers while wet waste goes for composting. Joint commissioners received specific targets, aiming at achieve complete segregation across a minimum of 5,000 households initially," said an MCG official, and raised concern that the officers, who had the prime responsibility to implement the plan, were transferred recently."We have been writing to MCG for the last eight years ever since the Solid Waste Management (SWM) rules, 2016. If MCG can do it now since there are directions from the ULB department, it would be a welcome move. The civic body now needs to be serious about segregation and implementing the zero-waste plan," said Vaishali Rana, an environmental to the SWM rules, 2016, every waste generator shall segregate garbage and dump it in three separate streams — biodegradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous—in suitable bins and hand over it to authorised waste mixed waste is currently getting collected and reaches Bandhwari landfill. TOI reported on May 7 that MCG carried out a characterisation survey of waste generated in the city. Plastic materials constitute 20-25% of the total waste in the city. Food and green waste accounts for 20-24%, while soil and sand content ranges between 20 and 24%. In the absence of decentralised waste processing and segregation, all of this ends up at the landfill.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Waste analysis shows one-fourth of trash at Gurgaon landfills is plastic
Gurgaon: Plastic materials constitute 20-25% of the total waste in the city. Food and green waste accounts for 20-24%, while soil and sand content ranges from 20 to 24% across these locations. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the absence of a decentralised waste processing and waste segregation, all of this waste ends up at the landfill site in Bandhwari. A detailed waste analysis — sampling major secondary collection sites at Khandsa, Beri Bagh, Prempuri and Carterpuri — has revealed the breakup. MCG conducted the waste assessment following directives from the urban local bodies (ULB) department to both the city civic body and Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF). MCG additional commissioner Mahabir Prasad said, "This analysis will enhance the effectiveness of our waste processing methods." After a fire incident at the landfill recently, Supreme Court expressed grave concerns and directed MCG to present an action plan for the treatment of legacy waste at the landfill. ULB officials said the ultimate goal of this exercise is to achieve complete waste diversion from landfills and moving towards a zero-waste model, which the MCG officials have been promising for years, but have miserably failed to achieve. Environmental activist Vaishali Rana said, "A city's urban waste contains plastic, food waste, etc. However, what has the MCG done so far to deal with this plastic waste? Have they tied up with any recyclers? All of this is going to Bandhwari landfill, which was on fire recently." Rana said, "What the city should be doing is clearly mentioned in the Solid Waste Management (SWM) rules, 2016. However, MCG is just going round and round in circles." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now ULB officials said this initiative aims to establish a comprehensive waste management framework across all local bodies, including Gurgaon and Faridabad. The department instructed these corporations to undertake waste segregation analysis to identify principal contributors to the waste volume. The study has said the city's waste composition primarily consists of three main components, plastic materials, organic matter (food and green waste) and soil or sand deposits. The presence of sand/soil in the waste also raises questions on the payment model that is followed in the corporations, where the agencies are paid on the basis of the quantity of waste transported to the landfill. At the Carterpuri waste collection site, samples collected revealed plastic materials comprising 24.48%, organic matter at 20.50%, sand or soil at 23.81% and textile waste at 9.93% of the total sample. The Khandsa location showed different proportions with sand/soil being predominant at 23.57%, followed by plastic materials at 22.92%, food waste at 20.45% and textiles constituting 11.10%. The sample collected from Beri Bagh displayed organic waste as the primary component at 24.8%, with plastic materials at 23.9%, sand or soil measuring 20.6% and textiles accounting for 10.4%. The Prempuri waste assessment indicated plastic materials as the highest component at 25%, while organic waste measured 22.85%, sand or soil registered 22.7% and textile waste amounted to 12.4%. ULB commissioner and secretary Vikas Gupta has said MCG and MCF "must conduct or arrange" for waste analysis and characterisation tests at least monthly at various locations within their jurisdiction. At a meeting chaired by him, he said, these tests, essential for determining the actual composition of solid waste, should be performed by NABL-accredited laboratories without exception.
Hindustan Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Waste ismanagement' sparks inquiry at Palwal landfill
A project that aims to clear legacy waste from Palwal's landfill by using microbes has come under serious scrutiny, with environmentalists, legal experts, and activists alleging large-scale irregularities, procedural violations, and potential misuse of public funds. Officials have ordered a fresh investigation after calls from activists demanding an 'independent probe' into what they describe as a civic scam disguised as environmental cleanup. Despite claims by municipal authorities that waste segregation, treatment, and disposal are proceeding under strict technical supervision, locals argue the project has failed to deliver tangible outcomes. Environmentalist Vaishali Rana alleged that the contractor responsible for the project dumped legacy waste in the Aravalli Hills instead of transporting it to Palwal. 'Without any transportation records, how can the municipal corporation release the funds? This is just an eyewash. It's a scam,' Rana said, accusing both the contractor and civic officials of collusion. Raising further concerns, Supreme Court advocate and social activist Rajeev Yadav highlighted serious procedural lapses in the waste transportation process. 'Transporting waste to another district wasn't even part of the RFP (request for proposal). Only the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies can permit such movement — yet the Secretary of MC Tauru gave unauthorised permission,' he said. Yadav also pointed out the absence of route plans, GPS tracking, vehicle monitoring, and required concurrence from DMC Palwal, calling these omissions a violation of National Green Tribunal (NGT) norms, which bar the transportation of legacy waste across districts. Social activist Younis Khan from Tauru also alleged that large amounts of untreated waste were dumped directly into the Aravallis without any transportation to Palwal for scientific processing. 'This is environmental destruction disguised as waste management,' he said. Dr Sushil Malik, district municipal commissioner, Nuh, said that they are conducting investigation into the matter. 'strict action will be taken against the contractor and official if found guilty,' he said. Separately, contractor Karan Nain, who is executing the project, claimed that corruption had become a prerequisite for survival. 'I had to pay officials to clear the bills. The corruption level is so high that without engaging in illegal activity, it is impossible to survive or make any profit,' Nain said. The allegations have prompted the deputy commissioner of Nuh, Vishram Kumar Meena, to order a fresh inquiry. 'We had earlier formed a team, but no report was received. A fresh investigation will be conducted, and strict action will be taken if wrongdoing is found,' Meena said, adding that the review would focus on payments released after objections were raised in March. In response, Haryana forest minister Rao Narbir Singh also took note of the allegations, adding, 'A penalty will be imposed on the contractor, and if any department official is found involved, strict action will follow.' Launched in line with NGT directives for scientific waste processing by urban local bodies across Haryana, the Palwal bio-remediation project was originally positioned as a model initiative for rehabilitating degraded land and curbing pollution. Civic officials had earlier claimed dedicated teams were overseeing operations and that weekly progress reports were being submitted for review.
