Sector 123 plot cleared of 100 tonnes garbage
NOIDA: The Noida authority has removed over 100 tonne waste illegally dumped in a 25-acre plot near Sector 123.
About 25 trucks transported the waste to the authority’s two remediation centres for segregation and disposal, officials informed.
The officials stated that they will repair the boundary wall around the plot, which belongs to it, to prevent further dumping.
The area is home to residential colonies and high rises. Residents, many of who had been raising the issue with the authority since the last two months, however, are apprehensive on whether the authority can ensure that the area remains waste-free. “Even earlier the plot had been cleaned but rag pickers and neighbouring industries would dump waste there, including chemicals. Some people would also set it afire,” said Dinesh Singh, resident of Home121, a high rise in sector 121 that is adjacent to the said plot.
According to the residents, the plot was gated last year but the walls were partially brought down and the gate removed to pave way for heavy vehicles.
“The electricity department had some work there, but was never rebuilt after it was done,” said Singh,
Adwitiya Sharma, an employee works with the water department, cycles in this area daily. “The stench is almost unbearable and I often change my routes to avoid this place,” he said
The authority said it will do all it can to prevent a repeat.
“We have already started cleaning the plot and will begin constructing the boundary wall from Monday. We will keep an eye on illegal dumping here ensure that the issue doesn’t persist,” said Avinash Tripathi, Officer on special duty (health) Noida authority.
He added that there was only one designated waste dumping yard at sector 145 that the authority manages as per norms.
“About 22 to 25 truckloads of garbage was recovered from the site and the plot is being soiled using three earthmoving machines. The issue is that neighbouring Ghaziabad doesn’t have an authorised dumping ground and so people from there dump it here,” said SC Mishra, project engineer (Health), Noida.
Noida generates about 550 to 600 tonnes of garbage every day, that goes to two different material recovery plants and finally to its dumping yard in sector 145, about 20 km from the sector 123 plot. “We have a successful waste management system, but due to the diversity in the city many are still unaware of proper waste management rules. We still are getting around 80 per cent waste as segregated. But such illegal dumping parallel continues that we are working on to act against,” said Tripathi.