Residents of several Noida sectors are protesting the garbage dump. Union Minister promised to get Noida to locate it elsewhere.
Residents of Noida protest against garbage dumpsite in their locality - file picture
Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture, Mahesh Sharma, on Sunday assured residents of six Noida sectors that he will get the dumpsite at Sector 123 relocated.
The minister, who is also the local MP, came calling on the protesting residents of sectors 117, 118, 119, 120, 121 and 122 at the Sector 122 community centre and promised to speak to the Noida authorities about this.
In fact, it was after huge protests from residents near the garbage dump in Sector 138A that Noida authorities proposed to shift it to Sector 123, without considering the health risks it posed to people of nearby sectors.
More than 30,000 families are living in sectors 112 through 117. “It will aggravate air pollution and lead to groundwater contamination,” protesting residents said.
Abhay Pandey, a resident of Homes 121, a residential society in Sector 121, told City Spidey that the residents urged Dr Sharma to persuade Noida Authority to drop the idea. “How can Noida Authority dump waste at a site only a few metres from residential clusters and just next to the Hindon riverbed?” Pandey questioned.
About half a dozen housing complexes and three villages are located near the Sector 123 garbage dump.
Residents are viewing this dumpsite as another Ghazipur landfill in Noida.
If the proposal goes through, “we will breathe polluted air, bacteria and hazardous gases. The dumpsite and the future waste-to-energy plant will only aggravate matters,” Pandey and other residents said.
The Noida Authority decision also went against existing norms and solid waste management rules. According to the rules, a landfill site must be located at least 100 m from a riverbed, 200 m from water bodies and 200 m from any habitation, highway, public park and water supply well. Also, landfills are not permitted near floodplains and should be at least 20 km from airports.
