Muck poisoning groundwater? #NGT to get report

Gurgaon: The Central Ground Water Authority will submit a report on the quality of groundwater near the defunct Bandhwari municipal waste treatment plant before the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday.

The tribunal had sought the report after a city-based environmentalist filed a petition in May last year alleging that leachate from the treatment plant was flowing into the natural water recharge zones. “The treatment plant has been lying defunct since 2013,” said Vivek Kamboj, the environmentalist. “As untreated waste has been allowed to remain near the plant, it has resulted in the formation of a leachate lake nearby. I have been visiting the area quite often and noticed that the leachate is flowing into natural groundwater recharging zones. It is a matter of great concern. The leachate will not only pollute the groundwater but also destroy the flora and fauna in the area,” he added.

Amina Sherwani, another city-based environmentalist, said, “The plant is situated on a relatively higher plot than the cities (Delhi, Gurgaon and Faridabad) around it. So the leachate can immediately spread downhill. It could be disastrous for groundwater in all three cities, and can lead to several diseases among humans and animals. Also, the Aravalis have a high secondary porosity i.e. toxic water can accumulate in large quantities in the area, which can cause rapid contamination of groundwater.”

A report prepared by Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) on the quality of groundwater indicates that pollutants have not reached groundwater. “We took samples of groundwater from over four places and tested them. We found the groundwater in the area is not affected in any way. Also, MCG has now built walls around the leachate so it can’t seep into groundwater easily,” said an HSPCB official.