A group of environmental activists has written to the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) drawing its attention to the alarming levels of toxic pollutants caused by leachate spilling over to the Aravalis from the Bandhwari landfill site in Gurugram.
The samples were collected from an abandoned mining pit measuring around 2.5 acres during the visit of HHRC chairman Deep Bhatia in May.
In their letter, activists Vaishali Rana, Vivek Kamboj and Roma Vinayak quoted a Haryana State Pollution Control Board laboratory report which pointed to the high presence of toxic substances, such as fluoride and chloride, in the Aravalis due to the leachate spill.
“The substances were present several times over permissible limits, posing health hazards to residents of neighbouring villages by way of contaminating the groundwater and wild animals drinking the leachate,” the letter said.
While chloride is harmful for human consumption, the high level of fluoride could damage the bones of humans and animals, it pointed out.
The activists added that the leachate collecting in the mining pit was close to the underground aquifers and led to contamination of ground water. They said that they had been raising the matter with the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram for the past three years, but it paid no heed to their requests.
A matter is also pending before the National Green Tribunal hearing a petition filed by the three environmentalists in this connection.
