Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and chairperson of Delhi’s Environment Committee Atishi met with the commissioners of East and North Delhi Municipal Corporations on Wednesday to address the frequent fire incidents at Delhi’s Ghazipur and Bhalsawa landfill sites.
According to the environment committee, the frequent fires at the Ghazipur and Bhalswa landfills have seriously affected the efforts of the Delhi Government in improving the air quality of the city. A few days back, frequent fire incidents were reported at Ghazipur and Bhalswa landfill sites in the last week of November, which shot up the pollution levels in East and North Delhi.
Atishi inquired about the height of the garbage dumps, the rate at which the garbage dumps are growing, the number and frequency of fires that have taken place on the sites in the last six months, and an estimate of emission of methane and other harmful gases per day.
She also asked the representatives of corporations about the steps had the Municipal Corporation taken to tackle the pollution and the fires in the landfill sites.
Failing to receive a satisfactory response to her questions, Atishi said, “At this rate, it will take you 25 years to tackle just the Ghazipur landfill”. “The salaries that you and I draw come from the taxpayers' money. We will not tolerate any negligence in the duties you have towards the people of Delhi as commissioners of the Municipal Corporations,” she added.
The Environment Committee then asked MCD Commissioners to submit plans and timelines on Monday to bring landfills to ground level. For the next week's meeting, MCD Commissioners have been asked to report on the action taken against the engineers on duty under whom the fires occurred in the last 5 years.
It was also decided that the Principal Secretary ‘Delhi Pollution Control Committee’ should submit a report on the punitive actions that can be taken against the Commissioners if the default is repeated.
Since waste segregation at the source was the only proposed solution, Atishi asked the MCD Commissioners about the plan, resources deployed, and the timeline for taking waste segregation to all wards. She also inquired about the expenses made in the last five years on waste management, and the bidding process, and the name of these agencies involved.