NGT asks DPCC to take air, water samples around landfill sites

The National Green Tribunal on Friday directed Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to take air and water samples around the three landfill sites in Bhalswa, Okhla and Ghazipur areas in the national capital.

A bench headed by Justice U D Salvi also issued notice to the Environment Ministry, Delhi government, DPCC, municipal corporations and others on a plea seeking stoppage of dumping of any kind of solid waste at the three main landfill sites of Delhi.

"DPCC shall take samples of the ground water in the periphery of the landfill sites in question as well as the samples of the air around the said area and analyze the said samples and furnish a report of such analysis on the next date of hearing. DPCC shall also give the status report regarding landfill sites in question," the bench said.

The Tribunal's direction came while hearing a petition filed by NGO Centre for Wildlife and Environmental Litigation seeking a scientific analysis of all the three landfill sites at Ghazipur in East Delhi, Bhalaswa (North West Delhi) and Okhla (South Delhi). "It is submitted that a huge environmental hazard looms over the capital as the three landfill sites are continuously accumulating garbage beyond their shelf life," the NGO said.

The plea, filed through advocate Gaurav Bansal, claims that all the three landfill sites of the national capital were already "overflowing" and have reached "saturation point". "The continuous indiscriminate dumping at the said landfill sites has not only led to deterioration of ground water quality in the neighbourhood areas but there is also a constant fear of explosion of accumulated methane gas," it said.