Union minister for energy, housing, and urban affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, announced plans for a waste-to-charcoal plant at Bandhwari, a measure aimed at reducing the area’s landfill load, during his visit to the landfill on Thursday, officials said.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVNL) for implementing the project, Khattar added.

According to the minister, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will allocate 15 acres of land to NVVNL within the next six months for setting up the plant, which will convert waste into charcoal.

NVVNL has been instructed to coordinate with MCG officials to promptly demarcate and clear designated areas for the project. “Machinery installation should begin as soon as land is cleared,” Khattar said.

“Our aim is to transform this plant into a garbage-free facility within a fixed timeframe, aligning with the Swachh Bharat Mission,” Khattar said, adding that efforts are underway to establish sustainable solutions for waste disposal.

The Union minister also urged officials to prioritize cleanliness and waste management during and after Diwali, stressing a rigorous approach to sanitation. Khattar was joined by Haryana’s industry and environment minister Rao Narbir Singh and urban local bodies minister Vipul Goyal. “This collaboration highlights our commitment to cleaner, sustainable urban spaces and aims to set an example for effective waste management practices,” added cabinet minister Rao Narbir Singh.

In July, MCG and the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad announced plans to establish two waste-to-charcoal, or “green coal,” plants in their districts. Each plant will cost an estimated ₹500 crore and will process 1,500 tons of waste daily into charcoal using indigenous technology. An MoU for this initiative was signed between NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVNL), a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited, and the municipal corporations of Gurugram and Faridabad. The signing ceremony was held in Chandigarh.

NTPC is expected to begin setting up the plants, which are projected to be operational within about 30 months. “These plants will be based entirely on indigenous technology,” Khattar said. The minister noted that these facilities would be the largest in India, surpassing a similar plant in Varanasi, which processes 600 tons of waste daily into charcoal. The planned plants in Haryana would each process 1,500 metric tons of waste, significantly increasing the scale of charcoal production from waste.