As landfills complete their lifespan, more tragedies waiting to happen
RESIDENTS LIVE IN FEAR A similar collapse at Bhalswa landfill may inflict more damage to life and property than what was seen at Ghazipur on Friday
Bhalswa landfill site, which too has completed its lifespan, a collapse might inflict more damage than what was seen at Ghazipur on Friday.
A similar accidental slide will affect hundreds of families living in slums near Bhalswa Dairy.
Abdul Malik, 28, a resident of Shanibazar More, recalls how a couple of years back a small section of the landfill had fallen on a hut and destroyed it. “Eight-nine tenants used to stay in that jhuggi. Luckily, they were all out for work when the incident happened. If anything happens during the night, families living on the edge won’t survive,” he said.
There is not even a boundary wall separating the trash hillock and the shanties. The lone wall is around a DUSIB toilet.
Atul Chaurasia, another resident, said he has complained to the corporation but no help has come. “Where will we go? Give us an alternate place to live,” the 50-year-old said.
The Bhalswa site has a total of 15 million tonnes of garbage in it. On an average, a daily load of 2,800 tonnes is dumped here.
At little further away, in the nearby Kalinder Colony, Raj Kumar, 35, said life amid stench and gas from garbage burning is tough. “Methane causes this fire. Our eyes hurt. Breathing gets difficult. Trips to the doctor have become a regular affair. The water which comes out is yellow and stinking,” he says.
Atop the landfill, Hindustan Times saw all types of garbage — concrete, plastic, biodegradable or non-biodegradable — strewn around. Whatever little segregation is happening is done by the ragpickers.
In April, last year, a committee comprising officials from the Delhi government’s Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), transport department, revenue department and urban development department, was formed after reports of fire at Bhalswa and Ghazipur sanitary landfill (SLF) sites. One of its recommendations included installing compost plants for biodegradable waste. The irony is that a functional compost plant was shut by the DPCC in 2014 for flouting environmental norms.
North Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Preety Agarwalsought a status report from the municipal commissioner about Bhalswa landfill site.
Despite the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s best efforts to manage the Okhla landfill, it has been a continuous source of nuisance for neighbouring residential areas as well as the ESI Hospital. According to the staff, the height of mountain is much more than the boundary wall and the garbage spills into the complex.
“During rains, leachate (toxic water discharged from garbage) seeps through boundary wall in our complex,” said Dr Deepika Govil, medical supretendent, ESI hospital. According to her, the matter was raised with the lieutenant governor (L-G) when he visited the hospital in May.
The Ghazipur incident on Friday, has led to fear among the residents in the area. “We are living adjacent to garbage trash. We are really scared after Ghazipur incident and it is high time that the MCD should abandon the site, which has already completed its life span in 2010,” said Jeevan Singh Negi, a resident.
The site has facilities for treating leachate, trapping harmful gases and make refuse derived fuel. The leachate is collected and treated before being released in the storm water drains. The North Corporation claims that its capacity will increase to 4,000 metric tonnes per day, out of which 2,400 metric tonne will be used for waste-to-energy plant. total area of the landfill
1993 Dumping continues
tonnes daily waste load
Caters to City and Karol Bagh zones in North corporation. 100 tonnes from West zone under South corporation are also dumped
Frequent fires atop landfill site. North civic body claims to have put pipes to trap the deadly methane gas, which causes these fires
No. A compost plan at the site is now defunct
In planning stages total garbage in the landfill
Civic body trying to reclaim or close it. Shutting down is not possible at the moment due to lack of alternatives
In planning stage No plastic processing plant at Bhalswa. Some plastic gets removed by ragpickers
tonnes daily waste load Caters to Najafgarh, partly from rest of three zones (West, South and Central) under South Corporation
Frequent fires
No. Done at local sites Works, consumes 1,800 tonnes of waste. Composting plant consumes 200 tonnes of segregated waste Trying to reclaim, develop green belt North MCD East MCD total area of the landfill
1984
Dumping continues
metric tonnes daily waste load Caterstoalloverthe city. Areas that are affected are Gharoli, Khoda, Gharoli Extension, Kalyanpuri, Kaushambi, Ghazipur, Kondli total garbage in the landfill
Frequent fire. Stench during
Yes and it treats 1,200 tonnes of waste daily
A 150-acre land in Ghonda has been identified. EDMC says it is in talks with DDA
EDMC has signed an MoU with NHAI to use 25% of the garbage at the site for building of roads
EDMC claims they have hired concessionaires to collect, segregate and compress waste. But, most of the waste gets dumped without segregation
No. Only by ragpicker which is an unorganised sector