Flames and smoke rise from a fire at Ghazipur landfill. (Photo | EPS)
NEW DELHI: The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has told the Delhi Assembly’s Environment Committee that it will take at least 10 years at most to clear the Ghazipur landfill where a massive fire broke out eight days ago, the panel’s chairperson, Atishi, said on Tuesday.
The EDMC admitted that they don’t have money, land or an adequate plan to solve the garbage problem of Ghazipur Landfill, said Atishi. “What has BJP been doing for the last 15 years? Now that MCD will be controlled by the central government, will the Prime Minister solve this problem?” she added.
According to the government, revelations about the mismanagement taking place in the East MCD came to the fore on Tuesday as the Delhi Vidhan Sabha’s Committee on Environment held a deposition of the EDMC Commissioner.
The committee sought explanations from the civic body on what steps have been taken to clear the Ghazipur landfill site and prevent fires as well as data on garbage management. To this, Atishi said EDMC has no plan of action for remediation of legacy waste at the Ghazipur landfill site; how the growth of the garbage mountain will ever end?, she asked.
The EDMC has stated that it will take at least 10 years at most to clear the landfill. About 140 lakh tonnes of legacy waste at Ghazipur was the cause of fire to which the EDMC blamed the non-availability of funds for their inability to clear it out.
As a matter of fact, only 9 lakh a tonne of legacy waste was treated in 1.5 years, the same quantity of fresh waste was added in this period at the site.
“The EDMC blamed agencies like Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for not providing land where extra garbage could be dumped. The commissioner also pointed out that the waste-to-energy plant in Ghazipur hasn’t been functioning since the private partner went bankrupt,” said Atishi.
