NEW DELHI: At least two people were killed from the impact of tons of garbage heap crashing on road in Ghazipur area on the border of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on Friday. Five people were pulled out from a canal running behind the garbage dump site in first three hours of the rescue operation.
According to the Disaster Relief Force, the rescue operations are still under way and few more people could be trapped under the mound of garbage.
The garbage dump site is the responsibility of the East Municipal Corporation of Delhi. Due to the sheer impact of the crash one four wheeler, three two wheelers were swept away in the canal.
According to the police, the deceased were identified as 27-year-old Raj Kumari and 20-year-old Omvir, and further rescue operation is on.
The chief minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia visited the site.
“Visited Ghazipur site. It’s a man-made disaster. Criminal. Mountains of garbage. Why doesn't MCD use modern technology to manage solid waste? Precious lives have been lost due to this incident, NDRF team is here and the rescue operations I will meet the LG (Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal) on this matter” said Kejriwal in a tweet.
The garbage mound, overflowing with stinking, toxic trash that has gathered over several years, collapsed around 2:30 pm.
The Ghazipur landfill site came up in 1984 and is the oldest of three garbage dumping sites in the national capital. It caters to the waste generated in east Delhi, central Delhi and the old quarters of the city.
The state unit President of BJP, which is in power at the MCD for the last 15 years, Manoj Tiwari has sought a report from the municipal body mayor Neema Bhagat over the whole incident.
“It is important that steps be taken to develop alternate additional landfill sites for Delhi and scientific disposal of garbage be ensured. We must try to avoid stacking of garbage” said Tiwari.
With over 9,000 metric tons of daily garbage generation in the city, the three functional landfill sites –Ghazipur, Bhalaswa and Okhla are overloaded.
With no new landfill site being developed in the national capital in last few years, the three sites are way beyond the allowed limit of 20 meters mark in height of garbage.