East Delhi corp tries to convince NGT-appointed committee about need for landfill

To strengthen their case before the National Green Tribunal (NGT)-appointed committee for approving a new site at Ghonda Gujran for the disposal of waste, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) took the panel members to the Ghazipur landfill for a visit on Saturday.

The senior officials’ showed committee chairman Amarjit Singh, also the secretary of union ministry for water resources, the oversaturated landfill at Ghazipur. They showed the panel that part of landfill where garbage is being dumped presently in the absence of any other site.

Two persons were killed on September 1 when a part of the garbage mound at Ghazipur in east Delhi came crashing down.

“We explained Singh the existing situation and shared the fact that unless we get a new place to dump waste, it wouldn’t be possible to start remediation process of Ghazipur. He took cognizance of issue and assured to look into the issue,” said senior EDMC official.

It was also clarified that the EDMC has no other land to establish such a big integrated plant at one place and the facility would serve as long-term solution for the area.

The panel earlier visited the 150 acres of land at Ghonda Gujran on Thursday. The site was transferred by the Delhi Development Authority to EDMC for developing a landfill.

But Manoj Misra, river activist and convenor of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, said implementation of the project would be illegal under various laws.

“Neither the NGT’s judgement of 2015 nor the Municipal Solid Waste Rules 2016 permits such activity in O-Zone. If three corporations would work together then they can easily find some land far from the habitat and riverbed. But unfortunately they are looking for shortcuts and not work diligently to solve issue,” said Mishra.

NGT’s hearing on Monday

In another development, the NGT has instructed the government agencies and civic bodies to appear before the tribunal on Monday.

On September 4, the tribunal had issued show-cause notice to the Delhi government, EDMC, DDA and the National Highway Authority of India over the Ghazipur landfill collapse.

Rapping the authorities for negligence, the green tribunal had asked “why criminal proceedings be not initiated against erring EDMC officials for the death of two persons near (the Ghazipur) landfill”.

“We are preparing the presentation to explain the corrective measures taken by us so far. I think other two corporations would be present before the court on Monday,” said the EDMC official. The NGT has been hearing a matter pertaining to disposal of garbage in Delhi.