NEW DELHI: There is something rotten in the city of Delhi. It is politics. Ahead of the MCD polls scheduled for April 2017, the new poll calculus depends on the delimitation of Delhi’s 272 municipal wards. The state government is dragging its feet over the State Election Commission’s one-year deadline. Sources say AAP is betting on its 2014 wave to sweep the municipal wards to tarnish MCD's image. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought the dissolution of the MCDs and called for fresh elections.
“The new wards have 60,000 people, including 40,000 voters,” said state Election Commissioner Rakesh Mehta. There are four municipal wards for 68 Assembly seats.
“The poor state of MCDs in Delhi is purely due to the lackadaisical attitude of the elected leadership of MCDs and the biased attitude of the Central Government,” said AAP leader Ashutosh.
“Kejriwal sees an opportunity to create ill-will for municipalities and goodwill for him,” alleged Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay.
Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Ajay Maken said both AAP and the Centre were responsible for the crisis. Twenty landfill sites have been developed since 1975, of which 15 are shut. Two have suspended work. Delhi has two incinerators—one is not fully operational. Of the 3,000 metric tonnes of construction and demolition waste generated everyday in Delhi, only 1,000 tonnes are processed in spite of the 167 construction waste dumping sites. The first waste converting plant in Okhla is under the National Green Tribunal scrutiny after residents protested that the illegal mass burning of waste is causing pollution.
“Kitchen and other biodegradable waste constitute 60 per cent of Delhi’s garbage. Thirty per cent of non-biodegradable waste is collected by rag pickers from landfill sites. Auto tippers collect the rest from homes and streets to be sent to the 100 odd dalaos in MCD zones; 1,068 tippers and around 75 trucks to do the job. Delhi has around one lakh rag pickers. Assuming each collects 50 kg of waste according to estimates, the daily load for treatment and disposal goes down by 1,200-1,500 tonnes per day. Nearly 20,000 kabaadi wallahs collect recycled material from households," said Rajkumar Director DEMS Committee East MCD.
As the garbage collectors remain idle, rubbish accumulates as the byproduct of a political war being fought for control of the state.