Surat : Massive Pollution, Rule Violations at Khajod Dump Exposed Amid Swachh Rankings Glory

Surat, Gujarat – As the nation applauds Surat for clinching the second spot in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25, a dark reality festers behind the accolades. Grave allegations have surfaced against the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) for violating Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, endangering public health, and creating a toxic illegal dump yard at the Khajod Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) site.

The Brackish Water Research Centre (BWRC), a Gujarat-based environmental organisation, has blown the whistle again, filing a formal complaint to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

“What you see at Khajod is a disaster in slow motion. Over 8 lakh tonnes of untreated solid waste has been dumped illegally in the last five years,” said BWRC President M.H.S. Shaikh, adding, “Surat’s ‘clean city’ tag masks a gross environmental crime.”

According to BWRC, raw municipal waste continues to be dumped without any treatment on 10.5 hectares of open land, forming an unregulated mountain of trash, right beside the closed SLF Cell No. 2. The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), meant to monitor these violations, has allegedly turned a blind eye for years.

Shaikh, a petitioner in NGT Case OA 81/2014 (WZ Pune), has also accused SMC of non-compliance with court-ordered environmental safeguards. In 2014, BWRC had approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) after repeated fires, unbearable stench, and leachate-induced water pollution impacted thousands living near the site.

“Despite NGT’s directives and even Supreme Court intervention, pollution continues unabated,” said Shaikh. “It’s time for criminal accountability.”

While SMC did cap 40 lakh tonnes of legacy waste, it has since failed to enforce basic SWM 2016 norms. Reports allege that segregation is negligible, waste recovery is almost zero, and contractors are fabricating data to fake compliance.

In one of the most damning claims, Shaikh said the methane gas being released from the remediated legacy waste exceeds 113 tons per day, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and equipment corrosion in nearby developments like DREAM City, Surat Diamond Bourse, and the Surat Metro yard.

“ACs corrode in 3–4 years due to methane. This is a public health issue, not just an environmental one,” warned Shaikh.

The BWRC has demanded the last 6 months of GST invoices for sale of recovered materials (plastic, RDF, compost, etc.) to verify if any actual recycling took place. They allege that materials claimed to be “inert” are merely unsold waste dumped back into nature.

Meanwhile, raw MSW burning continues, with visible smoke and emissions. Leachate from the site has contaminated nearby drains, and groundwater quality has deteriorated, according to Shaikh. BWRC is calling for tri-party sampling (GPCB, CPCB, and BWRC) to verify groundwater contamination levels.

More shockingly, SMC contractors have been accused of illegally transporting Surat’s waste 70 km away to openly dump it in Bharuch district, leading to FIRs and local protests.

“We urge central ministries and pollution boards to immediately audit this disaster site,” Shaikh demanded. “If Swachh Bharat Mission data is based on false reports, the credibility of the entire ranking system is at stake.”

Despite multiple public complaints of foul odour, methane leaks, and air pollution, authorities have failed to act decisively. The situation, Shaikh says, is “out of control.”

With Surat’s global image and key infrastructure projects like the Surat Diamond Bourse at stake, experts say that inaction now could trigger long-term damage to environment, health, and investor confidence.

As the NGT case reopens post Supreme Court restoration, BWRC has reiterated its call for immediate action by GPCB, CPCB, MoEFCC, UDD Gujarat, and the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).