Lt Governor Seeks Public Input to Overcome Mounting Garbage Crisis
In a recent move to tackle the mounting garbage crisis in Delhi, Lt Governor VK Saxena has reached out to the public, urging their active participation and suggestions. The landfill sites in the national capital, including Ghazipur, Bhalaswa, and Okhla, have become looming “mountains of garbage” that not only pose grave health hazards but also evoke national shame. Lt Governor Saxena took to Twitter to share a poster with the tagline “The challenge we have inherited since years! Let’s come together to overcome it” and encouraged citizens to contribute their ideas to rid Delhi of over 28 million metric tons of waste.
The scale of the problem is alarming. The three landfill sites in Delhi, Ghazipur, Bhalaswa, and Okhla, have accumulated a staggering 28 million metric tons of waste, with Ghazipur alone accounting for 14 million metric tons. These mammoth dumps, reaching heights of 50-54 meters, not only mar the city’s landscape but also pose significant health risks to the nearby communities.
To address this issue, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has devised a plan to deploy drones for monitoring the reduction in landfill height and other crucial parameters. The elevation mapping of the landfills will be regularly shared with the Lieutenant Governor’s office, as per MCD officials. Furthermore, Lt Governor Saxena visited the Ghazipur landfill site and instructed MCD officials to submit a status report on their plan to demolish these dumping sites.
The MCD has set deadlines for the flattening of the landfill sites. The Ghazipur landfill is scheduled to be leveled by December 2024, while efforts are underway to demolish the Bhalaswa dumping site by July next year. The Okhla landfill is expected to be flattened by December 2023. The urgency to address these sites is underscored by past incidents, such as the collapse of a portion of the Ghazipur landfill in 2017, which claimed two lives.
The public response to Lt Governor Saxena’s call for suggestions has been positive, with many citizens expressing their concern and proposing innovative solutions to combat the garbage crisis. Lt Governor Saxena has provided an email address, writetolgdelhi@gmail.com, for people to submit their ideas and recommendations.
As Delhi grapples with these “unseemly mountains of garbage,” it is crucial for the government, civic bodies, and citizens to work together towards a sustainable and clean future for the capital city.
