Sanitation services in South and West Delhi areas may take a hit for unavailability of space to dump the garbage collected from households. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) has decided to restrict the South Delhi Corporation (SDMC) from using its landfill sites to dumb the municipal waste.
The NMC had allowed the SDMC to use its site at Bhalswa for garbage disposal but owing to non-payment of nearly Rs 17 crore by SDMC, the former has decided to terminate the contract. This might aggravate the situation in South Delhi areas as the Okhla landfill site is already full to its capacity and the corporation does not have an alternative to dump the waste. The SDMC has a total area of approximately 657 sq. km with a population pegged at around 56 lakh.
However, North Delhi Mayor Yogendra Chandolia on Monday directed Municipal Commissioner PK Gupta to disallow the South Delhi Corporation from using its landfill site at Bhalswa. The SDMC had been using the site ever since trifurcation of the unified MCD in 2012, to dispose of the garbage collected from West and Najafgarh zones under its jurisdiction. In turn, the SDMC had to pay utility charges to the North Delhi Corporation at the rate of Rs 350 per metric tonne of garbage dumped at the Bhalswa landfill site.
In December last year, NDMC had shot a letter to the SDMC citing financial losses and sought payment of the money. “The SDMC has to pay dumping charges/tipping fees for levelling and dressing of garbage to NMC. The North Delhi Corporation has deployed a number of heavy earth moving machines like hydraulic excavators and backhoe loaders and their operation require huge investment as also the repair and maintenance. For this purpose, funds are required urgently,” said the letter.