News / Author / Vibha Sharma

Vibha Sharma

Vibha Sharma covers municipal bodies in Delhi. A journalist for almost a decade, she has also worked for the hyper-local editions of Hindustan Times, covering civic concerns in south Delhi, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad.

Articles by Vibha Sharma

Ghazipur landfill collapse: Panel visits site for east Delhi waste management plant

The EDMC has been trying hard to convince the committee to approve the land for establishing its integrated solid waste management plant here. It also gave detail presentation to the committee on Monday but couldn’t get any concrete solution.

A part of Ghazipur dumpyard collapsed on September 1 killing two people. Delhi L-G Anil Baijal later ordered authorities to immediately stop dumping waste at the site.(Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

cities

Published on Sep 08, 2017 05:20 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Ghazipur landfill collapse: Despite L-G ban, waste dumped at Delhi’s garbage mound

About 3,000 metric tonnes of waste generated daily in east Delhi was being dumped at Ghazipur landfill site. More than half of it could not be lifted from colonies on Monday

East Delhi Municipal Corporation has decided to continue dumping garbage at Ghazipur as no alternative site is available yet.(Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Sep 05, 2017 03:21 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma & Joydeep Thakur

British ‘uncle’ who ‘sexually abused’ Delhi blind kids visited school for years

Delhi Police discovered ‘objectionable’ videos on the computer of Murray Denis Ward who was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing three visually impaired children at a resource centre run by National Association for the Blind

Murray Denis Ward, a British citizen, was arrested from a rented accommodation in Vasant Kunj Enclave.(Courtesy of the Delhi police)

cities

Updated on Sep 05, 2017 05:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Ticking garbage bombs: Ghazipur rerun at north Delhi’s Bhalswa will be disastrous

There is not even a boundary wall separating the trash hillock and the brick jhuggis. The lone wall is around a Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board public toilet.

Residents of Bhalswa pointing out at the landfill near their houses.(Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Sep 03, 2017 08:08 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByRitam Halder and Vibha Sharma, New Delhi

After Ghazipur incident, SDMC plans to shut Okhla landfill, north to revisit reclamation plan

North Delhi mayor Preety Agarwal has also sought a status report from the municipal commissioner about the condition of Bhalswa landfill site.

cities

Updated on Sep 03, 2017 12:13 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

For ragpickers in Delhi’s Ghazipur, garbage mound only source of livelihood

The rag pickers have been hearing tales of a promised transformation for sometime but the wait for a better day, where they will get clean air to breathe in his Ghazipur home, seems never-ending.

cities

Updated on Sep 02, 2017 12:24 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Told to shut down 15 years ago, Ghazipur landfill was a disaster in making

Although the civic agency claim to have hired private concessionaires to segregate, recycle and compress the waste, a large part of it remains unsegregated and is dumped at the already filled dumping site

Rescue and relief operations underway after a part of the Ghazipur garbage landfill collapsed in east Delhi on Friday afternoon. Several people and a vehicle were swept into the canal after the mishap.(PTI Photo)

cities

Updated on Sep 02, 2017 12:39 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Ghazipur landfill collapse in Delhi was a tragedy waiting to happen

Ghazipur garbage dumping site is one of the four landfill sites in Delhi. Experts say it has exceeded its capacity and should have closed down at least 15 years ago

East Delhi Municipal Corporation officials say danger is not over yet as more parts of Ghazipur landfill site can cave in too.(Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Sep 01, 2017 09:28 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Little has changed at Delhi’s dengue ground zero after 19 died of the disease in 2016

Even after 19 deaths and over 100 cases of dengue in Shaheen Bagh and Abul Fazal Enclave areas in 2016, little seems have to have changed here this year. According to MCD officials, these areas, located next to the banks of Yamuna, are among the worst-hit localities in the city every year.

A field worker sprays anti-larval insecticide in Okhla. The area reported 19 deaths due to dengue in 2016.(Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Aug 30, 2017 08:33 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

SDMC plans greenery, walkways and sculptures beneath flyovers on way to Delhi airport

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has launched an initiative to improve the aesthetics of open spaces under flyovers leading to the airport. In phase I of the project, five flyways — Nehru Place, Kalkaji, Savitri Intersection, Africa Avenue and Dwarka flyover — have been selected.

Sculptures and greenery beneath the Lajpat Nagar flyover.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Aug 28, 2017 10:47 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

NGT ban: Agencies seize 8,000 kg plastic in Delhi, wonder how to dispose it

A senior official in the state environment department said that the government was exploring options on how to dispose of these plastic bags. The final call would be, however, taken by the National Green Tribunal as it was on the court’s order on August 10 that plastic less than 50 microns was banned.

Till August 23, the government, civic bodies and other government bodies had seized around 7,739 kilos of plastic. The amount has now crossed 8,000 kilos.(Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

cities

Published on Aug 27, 2017 11:48 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma and Joydeep Thakur, New Delhi

Decongest Delhi: Stack parking lots with night facility to be built at 10 spots

Delhi will get 10 stack parking lots in areas such as Defence Colony market, Rajouri Garden, GK-II M Block, Hauz Khas Village and Lajpat Nagar. Cars in such a parking lot can be moved vertically as well as horizontally with automatic power lifts

The south corporation has decided to construct these parkings near busy markets, metro stations as well as residential areas so that these facilities can be used by visitors as well as residents living in the neighbourhood(Hindustan Times)

cities

Updated on Aug 26, 2017 04:29 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

North corporation to redevelop two historical gardens and Naini Lake

The two Mughal-era gardens, Qudsia Garden and Roshanara Bagh, will be developed with funding from the tourism and culture ministry.

The water level of Naini lake has also swelled after heavy rain in the region (HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Aug 19, 2017 10:22 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Delhi begins crackdown on plastic bags, civic bodies seize 200kg polythene

Nearly 200kg plastic bags were seized by the civic bodies and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The South Delhi civic body collected Rs 75,000 by penalising vendors and traders.

As soon as the drive started, distributors started resisting and gathered in large numbers. Civic officials had to take the help of local police.(Arun Sharma/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Aug 18, 2017 12:04 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma and Joydeep Thakur

L-G, Delhi government approve notification of new zonal boundaries in North Delhi Municipal Corporation

Now, the North MCD will have new zone named as Keshavpuram, which will be created after taking out wards from Rohini and Civil Lines zones. It will have total of 18 wards including Kamla Nagar, Model Town and Shalimar Bagh

Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal approved the file of otification of new zonal boundaries on Wednesday.(Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Aug 17, 2017 06:22 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Delhi rejects 70% applications for toilets under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

Under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the government provides Rs 4,000 per household for building toilets. Officials said that 40% applications were rejected as applicants already had toilets and had applied unnecessarily.

The municipal corporations have so far accessed 2,312 applications, of which 378 received from areas under North Corporation, 1905 under South and 29 under East Delhi Municipal Corporation.(Ravi Choudhary/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Aug 15, 2017 12:26 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma

Delhi’s MCDs to raise money through municipal bonds to fund projects

The corporations have started the process of obtaining credit ratings from independent rating agencies such as ICRA, CARE and FITCH to assess their credit worthiness and financial health.

cities

Updated on Aug 11, 2017 09:52 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Govt panel seeks report on integration of Delhi’s three civic agencies

Since trifurcation, the East and North Corporation have been facing severe financial crisis and at times, both of them have not been able to pay the salaries of their employees.

cities

Updated on Aug 11, 2017 09:31 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Delhi could lose 25% plastic bags if NGT ban is implemented

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee will have to implement the orders. A senior environment department official said the agency is waiting for the detailed order and based on it, the next course of action will be decided.

cities

Updated on Aug 11, 2017 01:25 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Delhi municipal bodies to unleash terminator train on mosquitoes from August 18

Moving at a speed of 20 kmph, the Mosquito Terminator train will cover a distance of about 150 km, in each cycle. The train will pass through Sarai Rohilla, Delhi Cantonment, Palam, Kishanganj, Lajpat Nagar, Tilak Bridge, Adarsh Nagar, Sabzi Mandi, Narela, Shahdara and Gurgaon.

The Mosquito Terminator Train is run jointly by Northern Railway and SDMC. A truck mounted sprayer is loaded on to a low-platform bogey. The officials spray Insecticide to check mosquito breeding in the water and drains along side the railway tracks in Delhi area.(Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Aug 10, 2017 10:51 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

State of Delhi education: 53,000 students play truant in municipal schools for up to two years

As per the MCD data in 2016-17, 53,100 students enrolled with the primary schools in three municipal corporations have not attended the academic sessions for up to two years.

cities

Updated on Aug 07, 2017 10:59 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Sterilisation and not relocation solution to contain monkeys in Delhi, say experts

Wildlife and animal suggest that the only permanent solution to contain the monkey population lies in sterilising the animals and not relocating them. They claimed that relocation has just ended up in ‘shifting’ the problem to newer areas without solving it.

Authorities started relocating monkeys from the city areas to the fringes of Delhi.(Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Aug 05, 2017 11:21 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByJoydeep Thakur / Vibha Sharma, New Delhi

Monkey terror shift from city to Delhi’s fringes

In and around Asola sanctuary, where monkeys were rehabilitated from the city, residents are living under constant fear

Locals blame the government authorities for shifting the problem of monkey menace from the city to its fringes(Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

cities

Published on Aug 05, 2017 11:13 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma and Joydeep Thakur, New Delhi

Row over redrawing boundaries: North MCD to move court against Delhi govt for sending back file

Miffed with the decision, mayor Preety Agarwal and commissioner Praveen Gupta met the lieutenant Governor on Wednesday, seeking his intervention regarding clearance of the file.

A Delhi government official said the north corporation’s file was rejected as it was not in conformity with the rules and regulation under the Delhi Municipal Act.(Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Jul 26, 2017 11:12 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

MCDs challan 6400 people, collect Rs 6.17cr fine for air pollution

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed all land owning agencies in Delhi to impose a fine of Rs5,000 on persons found burning waste in the open and Rs 5 lakh fine on the owners/builders, who are found violating dust control measures.

A Delhi traffic police official mans traffic wearing a mask on a busy road. Delhi has been named the world’s most polluted city by the World Health Organisation (WHO).(Sushil Kumar/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Jul 26, 2017 02:20 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Charging points for e-rickshaws at North MCD parking lots

The agency has finalised six spots where the facility would be developed by next month end. The e-rickshaw drivers would be able to charge their vehicles at nominal prices during night. There are over one lakh e-rickshaws in Delhi and no regular charging points for them.

New Delhi, India - July 4, 2014: A view of E-rickshaw's illegal Charging at north parking at church mission road in New Delhi, India, on Friday, July 4, 2014. (Photo by (Arun Sharma/ Hindustan Times)(Arun Sharma/HT Photo)

cities

Published on Jul 24, 2017 11:55 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Multilevel parking soon at Defence Colony market

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation plans to redevelop about 70 markets. Other markets, which will be developed by the corporation include Greater Kailash I and II, Aurobindo Market, Rajouri Garden main market, Green Park market, Hauz Khas, Dwarka, CR Park and Alaknanda .

South Delhi Municipal Corporation will construct a multilevel parking lot at Defence Colony market. The civic body also plans to redevelop 69 other markets under its jurisdiction.(HT Photo)

cities

Published on Jul 23, 2017 11:17 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Beating land crunch: Delhi civic bodies to develop stack parkings near Metro stations

Stations that have been identified for the project are Punjabi Bagh, Madipur, Udyog Nagar, Nangloi, Mundka, Pratap Nagar, Ghitorni, Okhla, Indraprastha Estate and Seelampur stations.

A stack parking at behind Sheila Cinema in Paharganj.(Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Jul 21, 2017 11:52 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

North Delhi to get 1.15 lakh LED streetlights from next week

At present, the civic agency is spending R 125 crore on these streetlights annually. But after implementation of project it will save R 50 crores, annually.

cities

Updated on Jul 21, 2017 11:40 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

North corporation plans to turn Delhi’s Bhalswa landfill into a green belt

In the absence of alternative sites, the civic body has been dumping garbage at the Bhalswa landfill though it crossing its capacity years ago.

cities

Updated on Jul 21, 2017 02:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Copy

Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin

Vibha Sharma

Vibha Sharma covers municipal bodies in Delhi. A journalist for almost a decade, she has also worked for the hyper-local editions of Hindustan Times, covering civic concerns in south Delhi, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad.

The EDMC has been trying hard to convince the committee to approve the land for establishing its integrated solid waste management plant here. It also gave detail presentation to the committee on Monday but couldn’t get any concrete solution.

About 3,000 metric tonnes of waste generated daily in east Delhi was being dumped at Ghazipur landfill site. More than half of it could not be lifted from colonies on Monday

Delhi Police discovered ‘objectionable’ videos on the computer of Murray Denis Ward who was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing three visually impaired children at a resource centre run by National Association for the Blind

There is not even a boundary wall separating the trash hillock and the brick jhuggis. The lone wall is around a Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board public toilet.

North Delhi mayor Preety Agarwal has also sought a status report from the municipal commissioner about the condition of Bhalswa landfill site.

The rag pickers have been hearing tales of a promised transformation for sometime but the wait for a better day, where they will get clean air to breathe in his Ghazipur home, seems never-ending.

Although the civic agency claim to have hired private concessionaires to segregate, recycle and compress the waste, a large part of it remains unsegregated and is dumped at the already filled dumping site

Ghazipur garbage dumping site is one of the four landfill sites in Delhi. Experts say it has exceeded its capacity and should have closed down at least 15 years ago

Even after 19 deaths and over 100 cases of dengue in Shaheen Bagh and Abul Fazal Enclave areas in 2016, little seems have to have changed here this year. According to MCD officials, these areas, located next to the banks of Yamuna, are among the worst-hit localities in the city every year.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has launched an initiative to improve the aesthetics of open spaces under flyovers leading to the airport. In phase I of the project, five flyways — Nehru Place, Kalkaji, Savitri Intersection, Africa Avenue and Dwarka flyover — have been selected.

Delhi will get 10 stack parking lots in areas such as Defence Colony market, Rajouri Garden, GK-II M Block, Hauz Khas Village and Lajpat Nagar. Cars in such a parking lot can be moved vertically as well as horizontally with automatic power lifts

The two Mughal-era gardens, Qudsia Garden and Roshanara Bagh, will be developed with funding from the tourism and culture ministry.

Nearly 200kg plastic bags were seized by the civic bodies and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The South Delhi civic body collected Rs 75,000 by penalising vendors and traders.

Now, the North MCD will have new zone named as Keshavpuram, which will be created after taking out wards from Rohini and Civil Lines zones. It will have total of 18 wards including Kamla Nagar, Model Town and Shalimar Bagh

Under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the government provides Rs 4,000 per household for building toilets. Officials said that 40% applications were rejected as applicants already had toilets and had applied unnecessarily.

The corporations have started the process of obtaining credit ratings from independent rating agencies such as ICRA, CARE and FITCH to assess their credit worthiness and financial health.

Since trifurcation, the East and North Corporation have been facing severe financial crisis and at times, both of them have not been able to pay the salaries of their employees.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee will have to implement the orders. A senior environment department official said the agency is waiting for the detailed order and based on it, the next course of action will be decided.

Moving at a speed of 20 kmph, the Mosquito Terminator train will cover a distance of about 150 km, in each cycle. The train will pass through Sarai Rohilla, Delhi Cantonment, Palam, Kishanganj, Lajpat Nagar, Tilak Bridge, Adarsh Nagar, Sabzi Mandi, Narela, Shahdara and Gurgaon.

As per the MCD data in 2016-17, 53,100 students enrolled with the primary schools in three municipal corporations have not attended the academic sessions for up to two years.

Wildlife and animal suggest that the only permanent solution to contain the monkey population lies in sterilising the animals and not relocating them. They claimed that relocation has just ended up in ‘shifting’ the problem to newer areas without solving it.

In and around Asola sanctuary, where monkeys were rehabilitated from the city, residents are living under constant fear

Miffed with the decision, mayor Preety Agarwal and commissioner Praveen Gupta met the lieutenant Governor on Wednesday, seeking his intervention regarding clearance of the file.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed all land owning agencies in Delhi to impose a fine of Rs5,000 on persons found burning waste in the open and Rs 5 lakh fine on the owners/builders, who are found violating dust control measures.

The agency has finalised six spots where the facility would be developed by next month end. The e-rickshaw drivers would be able to charge their vehicles at nominal prices during night. There are over one lakh e-rickshaws in Delhi and no regular charging points for them.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation plans to redevelop about 70 markets. Other markets, which will be developed by the corporation include Greater Kailash I and II, Aurobindo Market, Rajouri Garden main market, Green Park market, Hauz Khas, Dwarka, CR Park and Alaknanda .

Stations that have been identified for the project are Punjabi Bagh, Madipur, Udyog Nagar, Nangloi, Mundka, Pratap Nagar, Ghitorni, Okhla, Indraprastha Estate and Seelampur stations.

At present, the civic agency is spending R 125 crore on these streetlights annually. But after implementation of project it will save R 50 crores, annually.

In the absence of alternative sites, the civic body has been dumping garbage at the Bhalswa landfill though it crossing its capacity years ago.

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like