Councillors protest as EDMC gets alternate landfill sites for Ghazipur
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Councillors protest as EDMC gets alternate landfill sites for Ghazipur

The EDMC has time and again argued that the Ghazipur site has been fully saturated since 2000 and waste dumping in that area must be stopped immediately.

Councillors protest as EDMC gets alternate landfill sites for Ghazipur Ghazipur landfill site

East Delhi Municipal Corporation's quest to find an alternate landfill site for Ghazipur seems to have hit a dead end as nearly all councilors have opposed the move to dump garbage in the newly allotted locations of Gonda-Gurjan and Sonia Vihar.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had recently assigned these two areas to be used as landfill sites by the EDMC after receiving approval from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). 

However, the decision had attracted widespread criticism from residents of these areas and different political groups. A fresh objection was raised on Wednesday during the house meeting of EDMC as councilors of all three political parties – Congress, BJP and AAP unanimously rejected the proposed landfill sites in both areas.

The EDMC has time and again argued that the Ghazipur site has been fully saturated since 2000 and waste dumping in that area must be stopped immediately.

The councilors claimed that they were well aware of the fact that the civic body was in urgent need of alternate land for dumping daily generated waste in the areas under its jurisdiction.

They however, said that new landfill sites couldn't be allowed to come up in the proposed areas as they would pose a health hazard to the local residents.

EDMC Mayor, Bipin Bihari Singh said, “Both the sites allocated to EDMC for dumping garbage sites are situated in the Yamuna floodplains. If floods occur, they can even carry garbage to the river and pollute it further. It can cause immense harm to more than 30 lakh people living near these areas and hence we strongly oppose it.”

In the past one year, EDMC has been allotted four different locations for setting up alternative landfill sites to Ghazipur.

However, each time objections were raised and as a result waste is still being dumped at the Ghazipur site.

Replying to City Spidey on this issue, Singh said, “DDA should allocate land away from floodplains and residential areas for dumping of garbage.”

He further stated that East Delhi should move towards a system where it will no longer require landfills. “We have already set up one waste-to-energy plant and will soon set up another.”

Miffed with the EDMC’s decision, a senior official of the civic body told City Spidey said, “If the house objects to the allocated sites, it should also suggest some better plan to make those areas free from garbage.”