Gurugram, July 16 -- The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has floated three tenders worth around Rs.6 crore for the collection and transportation of fresh municipal solid waste from three city zones to the Bandhwari landfill. This comes days after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed it to submit a detailed timeline and action plan to stop fresh waste dumping at the site and identify an alternative waste processing facility could be a "violation" of the order, experts say. The tenders, released on July 12, cover Zones 1, 6 and 7. Zones 1 and 6 have an estimated budget of around Rs.2.5 crore each and Zone 7 of Rs.76 lakh. According to the tender documents, seen by HT, bidders will collect fresh municipal solid waste from secondary collection points (SCPs) and transport it to Bandhwari. When asked about it, officials said the transportation of fresh waste to Bandhwari is only an interim arrangement until an alternative site is identified. "We have taken cognisance of the NGT order and are working on identifying a new waste disposal site. Till the time the site is ready, waste will continue to be transported to Bandhwari. Once the site is identified, waste collection vehicles will be rerouted there," said joint commissioner Preetpal Singh. Yash Varmani, a Gurugram-based legal expert and advocate, said, "The NGT had asked MCG to clear the legacy waste at the site and submit an action plan to stop the dumping of fresh waste. Continuing the practice amounts to a clear violation of the tribunal's order," he said. Varmani added that the fresh tenders could invite additional penalties against the civic body and that non-compliance could attract imprisonment of up to three years. Singh maintained that the fresh tenders do not violate the NGT's directions. MCG officials said at least 15 locations have been inspected for the proposed waste disposal site, with Baliawas on the Gurugram-Faridabad road emerging as the most suitable contender so far. This particular case arises from an HT report titled "3rd Bandhwari fire in April sparks concerns of foul play", published on April 22, 2025. On July 7, a bench comprising Justice Prakash Shrivastava, chairperson, and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad directed the MCG to file an affidavit within four weeks disclosing a timeline and a detailed plan for stopping fresh waste dumping at Bandhwari and clearing the entire legacy waste, including any fresh waste dumped in the interim. It also sought details on measures to prevent leachate from flowing outside the landfill during the monsoon, steps taken for source segregation of waste, the status of the site's boundary wall and safeguards to prevent contamination of nearby roads, water bodies and forest areas. The MCG has yet to share this with the tribunal. "MCG is in the process of identifying land for waste disposal. The report will be submitted to the NGT once the site is finalised," said MCG spokesperson Satbir Rohilla. According to MCG, around 5.6 million metric tonnes of both fresh and legacy waste have accumulated at Bandhwari since January 2023. Of this, 3.8 mn metric tonnes have been processed, while about 1.8 mn metric tonnes remained untreated as of June 30. The NGT earlier imposed an EC of around Rs.7 crore on the MCG for excessive dumping that led to pollution in and around the landfill site....