Civic body washes hands off Ghazipur tragedy

The Ghazipur tragedy, which killed two persons on Friday was a tragedy in the making. Experts say that the site which collapsed on Friday, should have been closed down in 2002. Instead, at least one fourth of the city's garbage found its way here while no alternative was found.       

The East Corporation, which is the civic body responsible for maintaining the landfill site, stated that the incident was "unfortunate." East Corporation Mayor Neema Bhagat, said, "We were making efforts to clean up the landfill site. However, it was our bad luck that a tragedy happened. We were having a meeting about the site when the incident happened."

Asked as to why action on the site had not been taken before, she said, "We have got land from the DDA. But we have to get an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the NGT (National Green Tribunal) for starting work on it, as it falls under the green belt. We have a meeting scheduled with the Tribunal for the same on September 4."

Bhagat also said that the corporation was talking to the L-G to offer compensation to the victims. Flanked with a drain and a canal on either side, the Ghazipur landfill site carries 13 million of the city's waste. The waste gave away after heavy rains lashed the city leading to Friday's tragedy. The height of the landfill site has been a cause for concern for some time now.

Despite many court warnings to the corporations and the DDA over the height of the landfill sites the pollution caused by the same no action was taken. After the tragedy a blame game already emerged among the authorities with the East Corporation claiming that the DDA, which was asked to allot land for establishing new landfill sites had failed on their part.

However, the AAP government has blamed the corporation for not paying attention to waste management. The DDA, on the other hand, claims that it has done its part and the matter is stuck with the government.

Last year, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal had asked DDA to allot land to civic bodies for the purpose. The DDA then claimed that it has provided land to the East Corporation, but the clearance for the same was stuck with the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

It's not just the East Corporation. The South, North and East Corporations have also written to the government asking for land to establish new landfill sites, as the existing ones have been exhausted beyond limit.

Established in 1984, the Ghazipur landfill site is the oldest of the four landfills in the city. Despite a waste-to energy plant, a compost plant operating here as well as a tie-up with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to use 75% of its waste to be used in laying roads, the site is heavily overloaded with garbage.

On August 18, the NGT had the EDMC and the NHAI to invite tenders for segregation and management of waste at Ghazipur.

"The tenders for the same have been floated and the work will start soon. We will ensure nothing untoward happens here again," said Bhagat.

There are four landfill sites in the city under the three corporations ----Ghazipur (East) , Okhla (South), Bahlawa (North) and Narela-Bawana (North). Of the four sites, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had banned dumping garbage at Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalswa because of its dumping limit being exhausted.

The DPCC had stated dumping waste at these sites was "risking human life". However, in absence of any new sites, the civic bodies continued dumping waste here.