GURGAON: Landfill fires are often triggered by methane build-up. In a critical lapse, methane monitoring systems at the Bandhwari waste treatment plant failed to detect gas concentrations, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) officials said, a day after a fire broke out at the site.HSPCB officials have found multiple violations of directions issued by Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). HSPCB has also held MCG responsible for not ensuring compliance with the prescribed measures.HSPCB’s regional office in Gurgaon carried out a site inspection on Wednesday and flagged “non-compliance” on key safety and monitoring measures, regional officer Akanksha Tanwar told TOI on Thursday. Temperature regulation, a mandatory requirement under CAQM norms, was also not being maintained, increasing the risk of spontaneous combustion. The findings point to violations of CAQM’s direction No. 91 – issued under Section 12 of the CAQM Act – which mandates methane detection systems, temperature monitoring of waste heaps and immediate fire response protocols. The latest fire, officials said, reinforces concerns that despite repeated regulatory and judicial interventions, core safety measures at one of NCR’s most critical landfill sites remain weak, allowing preventable fires to recur.
“The team found that methane detection was not functioning effectively and temperature control measures were inadequate. There was also a delay in controlling the fire at the site. We have been imposing Rs 10 lakh every month on MCG for violations at the site. We will take further action as required,” Tanwar told TOI, adding that MCG is required to carry out all preventive and safety measures in line with CAQM directions.Officials also pointed to a likely trigger for the latest blaze. On the day of the fire, bio-culture was sprayed on waste heaps as part of routine landfill treatment. However, experts note microbial activity accelerates decomposition, which in turn increases internal heat generation and methane release. “In poorly monitored landfill conditions, this combination can lead to a rapid rise in temperature and ignition, especially in dry weather,” an official said.Bandhwari has a long history of landfill fires, repeatedly flagged by courts and environmental agencies.In April 2025, multiple fires were reported on April 3, 6, 21 and 26, with one major blaze taking nearly two days to bring under control despite deployment of fire tenders from multiple districts. Another major fire between April 26 and 27 took over 20 hours to douse, underlining the scale and intensity of such incidents at the site.MCG officials have consistently attributed these fires to methane accumulation from decomposing waste, coupled with poor monitoring and delayed response.Environmental activist Vivek Kamboj said repeated fires at Bandhwari point to regulatory failure rather than isolated accidents. “When basic safeguards like methane detection and temperature monitoring, mandated by CAQM, are either non-functional or ignored, fires become inevitable.
Bandhwari has been burning for years, yet enforceable accountability is missing. Without strict compliance, directions remain on paper,” he said.The landfill, operational since 2008, has faced sustained criticism for frequent fires, legacy waste accumulation and environmental violations, particularly along the Aravali eco-sensitive zone. Spread over 29 acres and rising nearly 38 metres, the landfill continues to receive around 2,200 metric tonnes of waste every day despite lacking a full-scale waste treatment facility.CAQM directions require installation of methane gas detectors, continuous temperature monitoring of windrows, firefighting infrastructure and preventive protocols such as patrolling and mock drills. Officials said that despite these requirements, systems at Bandhwari were either ineffective or not followed on the ground, leading to repeated fire incidents.The board is now initiating enforcement action. Sources said penalties and further directions to ensure compliance are likely, with authorities expected to seek a compliance report from plant operators.National Green Tribunal (NGT) in March directed MCG to spell out a comprehensive action plan for handling and remediating waste at the Bandhwari landfill, after noting that no such plan exists even as the dumpsite continues to receive thousands of tonnes of garbage daily. The landfill has long been under the NGT’s scanner over issues of waste mismanagement, leachate leakage and environmental damage. In Nov last year, the tribunal pulled up Haryana govt for failing to comply with earlier directives, even as toxic leachate continued to spill into adjoining green areas.
It directed the state principal secretary (environment) to explain the delay and imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 for seeking more time to file a compliance affidavit.Earlier inspections flagged that leachate from the site was overflowing through kutcha drains into plantation areas and forming stagnant pools, with concerns that it could spread to agricultural fields during heavy rain.
