The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), and the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) regarding a proposed construction and demolition (C&D) waste collection centre in Sector 106, Gurgaon. The notices came in response to a petition filed by the Dwarka Expressway Gurugram Development Association (DXP-GDA), which challenges the location of the facility in Babupur.
Petition Alleges Inadequate Dust Control
The petition claims that the centre is being developed without sufficient infrastructure to control dust. The matter was heard on May 29, with the order uploaded on Thursday by an NGT bench comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr. Afroz Ahmad. The tribunal directed the applicant to serve copies of the petition and file an affidavit of service before the next hearing, scheduled for September 10.
Residents Raise Concerns Over Location
Residents have objected to the facility, stating it is being built virtually at their doorstep, just meters away from homes and a nursery school. They argue that the site violates environmental norms governing such facilities. The residents' association contends that the proposed site fails to meet the siting criteria under the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, which require such facilities to be located away from habitation clusters, forests, and water bodies.
Siting criteria are environmental, regulatory, technical, and infrastructure-related requirements used to identify suitable locations for industries, landfills, and commercial developments. These criteria ensure compliance with legal regulations, minimize environmental and social impacts, and provide adequate access to transportation and utilities.
Advocates Highlight Proximity to Homes and School
Appearing for the applicant, advocates Yash Varmani, Seema Nain, and Srishti Singh informed the tribunal that a residential society is located just 30 meters from the site. They also pointed to a nursery school adjacent to the proposed facility, raising concerns about dust and other impacts on children and residents.
Photographs submitted by the applicant show that the approach road to the site is unpaved, causing dust clouds when vehicles pass. Residents also flagged a drain directly in front of the facility, which is being used as an access route for vehicles entering the site.
Challenge Centers on Schedule I of C&D Waste Rules
The petition argues that the location and access arrangements are inconsistent with Schedule I of the C&D Waste Management Rules, which require facilities to be situated away from habitation and supported by paved approach and internal roads to minimize dust generation.
DXP-GDA convener Sunny Daultabad stated, “Setting up a C&D waste station right next to residential Sector 106 and Daultabad village is a recipe for an environmental and public health crisis. We already see how miserably mismanaged the existing plant just a few kilometres away in Basai is, severely affecting residents in Sector 102. Dwarka Expressway region is already battling critical AQI levels. Instead of making designated residential zones more liveable, this move directly threatens the health of thousands. Such plants must strictly be kept away from habitations.”
Dispute in Fast-Growing Sector
The dispute has emerged in one of Gurgaon’s fastest-growing sectors along the Dwarka Expressway corridor, where residential development has accelerated in recent years.
