India, May 12 -- A private agency hired to process legacy waste from the Bandhwari landfill is under fire after massive quantities of untreated garbage were found dumped in the ecologically sensitive Mangar forest in the Aravallis. The illegal activity, first exposed through photographs and videos shared by conservationists and reported by Hindustan Times on May 6, has triggered public outrage and demands for stringent action.

The Mangar forest - spread across 3,810 acres, with 1,132 acres protected under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA)-has become a fresh dumping ground for unprocessed legacy waste. Activists and locals say the waste, contaminated with microplastics, heavy metals, and toxic residue, is being d...