EDMC’s 3 wards to achieve 100% waste segregation at source by June

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (EDMC) three wards — Mayur Vihar-I, Yamuna Vihar and Anand Vihar — will achieve 100% segregation of solid waste at source by the end of June, officials of the corporation said.

The civic body started waste segregation at source in these wards last month. The EDMC officials said that there were around 40,000 households in these three wards.

According to EDMC commissioner Dilraj Kaur, the move is aimed at making the environment cleaner by recycling biodegradable waste. “At present, around 9,000 households in these wards are segregating solid waste on their own. We have set up a target to add 4,000 households per week. By the end of June, all the households of these three wards will achieve 100% solid waste segregation at source,” Kaur said.

She said that the civic body is also spreading awareness among the masses through street plays and training sessions about waste segregation at source.

The officials said that waste segregation at source was started in these wards in April, but initially the progress was slow because of Lok Sabha elections and also lack of awareness among the masses about waste segregation.

According to an EDMC data, around 15 metric tonnes of waste was being segregated at source per day in Mayur Vihar-I, Yamuna Vihar and Anand Vihar wards. The total waste generated in these wards per day is around 60 metric tonnes.

“The segregated biodegradable waste is being treated with the help of eight compactor machines and compost pits made in these wards. With such an initiative, less amount of waste is now reaching the landfill site which is already over burdened,” a senior EDMC official said, who wished not to be named.

He further said that the municipality has also started a process to simultaneously extend this exercise in nine more wards, including Preet Vihar, Gautam Puri and Dilshad Garden.

The EDMC collects around 2,600-2,800 tonnes of garbage per day from all its 64 wards. The civic body spends around ₹500 crore annually on garbage management, sweeping of roads and sanitation.