Dwarka: Vigilante residents sit on vacant land to save it from garbage
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Dwarka: Vigilante residents sit on vacant land to save it from garbage

Residents protested for more than three hours. SDMC officials visited the spot to pacify the situation.

Dwarka: Vigilante residents sit on vacant land to save it from garbage

About 60-70 people initiated a novel way to stop dumping of garbage and debris at a vacant land in Sector 18, Dwarka on Saturday. Taking upon themselves the onus of protecting the environment, they staged a sit-in at the very spot that had been turned into a garbage dump. 

Most of these protesters, who stayed put at the site keeping a vigil sitting on chairs, were from Golf Links Residency and Samridhi Apartments. 

The environment vigilantes said that the collectors from South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and other private agencies routinely dump garbage and debris on at the site. 

This, they averred is no less than a nuisance for the people living in the vicinity.

The protesting residents kept a vigil for more than three hours before SDMC officials visited the spot to pacify and dissuade them from continuing with their dharna (rally). 

Sukhbir Singh, a resident of Samriddhhi Apartments, asserted, “We won't allow dumping of garbage anymore." 
Disclosing that that the SDMC officials had a heated exchange with them, he said, "This is not the way it should be. We have been enduring foul smell and unhygienic atmosphere. They don't have a right to do so.”

Dr Sumit Dookia, an assistant professor in environment management at IP University, Dwarka and a resident of Golf Link Residency, said, “When we started stopping dumping we faced resistance from a few SDMC representatives. They argued with us for about an hour.” 

The residents requested the people, with folded hands, against dumping at the spot as it would lead to destruction of green belt. They tried to convince them about the seriousness of the matter. 
As was informed by the people, the protest will resume on Sunday when a large number of people are expected to turn up on the site to resist dumping. 

Many senior residents are said to have written to concerned departments and public representative of the SDMC, local MLA, the Environment Minister of NCT of Delhi apprising about the situation. 

Besides, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Delhi Pollution Control Board, the MoEFCC and the Central Pollution Control Board were approached with the grievance. “Finding no positive response forthcoming from any of these authorities and elected members, the residents hit the street to salvage the situation,” said Dookia.

They said the residents started a planned demonstration against the dumping. “Three days ago, alert citizens caught two mini trucks while they were dumping debris of demolition. They also called police for intervention,” they added.