Illegal waste dumping leads to environmental fears in F'bad

An official inspection in Faridabad's Dhouj region has uncovered a sprawling network of illegal earth excavation and unauthorized dumping of solid waste, allegedly connected to Gurugram's Bandhwari landfill, prompting experts to call for immediate multi-agency action.

- Leena Dhankhar

FARIDABAD:

The findings come on the heels of an April 10 HT report, which revealed how two private contractors were flouting scientific waste treatment norms and secretly dumping toxic, untreated waste across Faridabad.

The joint inspection by Haryana's Mines and Geology Department and the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) on June 20—triggered by citizen complaints—has laid bare environmental violations on a massive scale.

According to officials, six sites ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 acres in Fatehpur Taga, Samaypur Dhauj-Ballabhgarh Road, Dhouj, Nurpur Dhumaspur, and Mangar village were found to have been illegally excavated.

The excavated pits were then backfilled with legacy, unprocessed waste, bypassing environmental safeguards and contractual obligations.

HT visited the sites on Thursday and found large mounds of mixed, untreated waste across open fields — allegedly in violation of environmental norms and the contract's terms.

The waste, reportedly sourced from Bandhwari, was concealed beneath layers of earth to evade detection. Experts warn this practice risks groundwater contamination, land instability, and long-term health hazards.

In one egregious case, a landowner is allegedly planning to build residential colonies atop a concealed dump site (Lat: 28.343762°N, Long: 77.203240°E), potentially exposing future residents to toxic soil and structural threats.