At the southern edge of Faridabad, where the city thins out into the rocky foothills of the Aravalli range, a proposed solid-waste processing facility has become the centre of a growing environmental and legal conflict. The site, located at Pratapgarh (Mauja Gaunchi), is a 50-acre parcel held by the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF). While municipal authorities describe the project as a necessary step to manage the city’s mounting waste crisis, residents and environmental groups argue that it threatens one of north India’s most fragile ecological zones, the Aravallis.
The controversy erupted in early 2024, when local residents and activists alleged that trees were being cut and land prepared for waste processing close to the Aravalli hills without adequate legal clearances. These concerns culminated in the filing of Original Application No. 123/2024 before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). According to filings before the NGT, the MCF plans to develop a decentralised solid-waste processing facility at the Pratapgarh site, involving composting and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) handling for approximately 300 metric tonnes of waste per day. The land also hosts a sewage treatment plant (STP), which was earlier upgraded from 50 MLD to 100 MLD. While municipal authorities maintain that the project is not a landfill or incinerator, but a processing facility meant to reduce Faridabad’s dependence on the heavily contested Bandhwari landfill, also located close to the Aravallis.
The Rs 500-crore project will be set up by NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVNL), a subsidiary of NTPC Limited. An MOU for the plant was signed in July 2024 between NVVNL and the Municipal Corporations of Faridabad and Gurugram. The MCF had identified around 20 acres of panchayat land acquired by the state government about 22 years ago for setting up a power plant near the village.
In December 2024, the Zila Parishad of the district passed a resolution for abandoning or shifting it elsewhere after residents of various villages, including Mothuka, demanded withdrawal of the move citing pollution issues. Mothuka village Sarpanch, Mohan Bansal, had pointed out that the land designated for the plant had been initially acquired for a power generation project and cannot be repurposed for other uses.
Residents and environmental groups argue that the site lies dangerously close to the Aravalli hills, a mountain range that plays a crucial role in groundwater recharge, biodiversity conservation and climate regulation in the National Capital Region. Citizen groups such as Aravalli Bachao have repeatedly warned that incremental "small" projects in the Aravallis collectively lead to irreversible ecological damage.
Petitioners before the NGT alleged that a large number of trees were cut to prepare the site and that parts of the land actually belonged to the Forest Department or other government departments, making the municipal project legally questionable.
On 5 February 2024, the NGT admitted the case and constituted a Joint Committee comprising officials from the Central Pollution Control Board, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, the Ministry of Environment’s regional office and the Faridabad district administration. The Committee inspected the site on 27 March 2024 and submitted a detailed report. Findings include the fact that of the 50 acres, about 3.03 acres were identified as forest land, 180 trees had been cut, according to Forest Department records. A forest-offence case had been registered and a penalty imposed on the municipal contractor. The waste facility was not operational, and crucial permissions, including formal authorisation from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board had not yet been obtained. The committee recommended that no operation should begin without pollution-control consent, proper leachate management, and the development of a green buffer zone.
Environmentalists argue that authorities routinely frame such projects as technical solutions to urban waste while downplaying their ecological and social costs.
The matter remains pending before the NGT. The tribunal has allowed parties to file objections and replies to the Joint Committee report and has underscored that statutory compliance is non-negotiable.
The Pratapgarh dispute highlights a recurring fault line in India’s urban expansion: the collision between municipal infrastructure needs and ecologically sensitive landscapes. It also raises fundamental questions about land records, environmental clearances, and public participation in decision-making.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Complaint against procedural violations
Demand to cancel the project
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to relocate the facility, completely disclose transfer documents, stop any construction/operation until joint committee and statutory clearances are complete, and imposition of fines/compensatory afforestation for trees felled in the buffer zone and green belt of Aravallis Hills.
Region Classification
Urban and Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project stalled
Original Project Deadline
2027
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Yes
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Grazing
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Yes
Source/Reference
The project is delayed amid NGT scrutiny as Joint Committee has recommended compliance before operation (report dated 27.03.2024) and additional safeguards have been recommended by the Joint Committee including setting up leachate solutions and green buffer zone.
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
500
Type of investment:
Investment Expected
Year of Estimation
2024
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Law
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Disposed
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
National Green Tribunal (Principal Bench, New Delhi)
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
OA 123 of 2024
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
State of Haryana; Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF); Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB); Forest Department (Deputy Conservator of Forest report referenced); Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) (as Joint Committee member); Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change Regional Office (as Joint Committee member); District Magistrate, Faridabad (nodel agency)
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVNL)
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Daksh Construction (project proponent contractor)
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
