Hussain directs MCDs to expedite work of new landfills

Ananya Panda
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 22

In view of rising concerns over the raging fire due to rise in methane concentration at the Bhalaswa landfill, Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain today took stock of the prevailing situation at a time when the national capital is already struggling to deal with the rising fine particulates owing to stubble burning in the neighbouring states.

Hussain asked the three municipal corporations (MCDs) to expedite the work of developing scientifically-designed new landfill sites and waste-to-energy plants for better disposal and processing of waste in Delhi. He directed them to regularly maintain logbooks for recording the incidents of fire and action taken thereon.

During the emergent meeting called to review the preparedness of the municipal corporations in handling the incidents of fire at the three landfills in the wake of recent fire incidents, the minister noted that preventive arrangements as in place at Ghazipur landfill site are missing in the other two: Bhalaswa and Okhla.

East MCD authorities said, entry of rag-pickers including children into the Ghazipur site has been prohibited and to check any unauthorised entry adequate staff have been posted for round-the-clock watch. The site has been put under CCTV surveillance and a dedicated fire tender has been stationed to take care of any untoward incident. Further, ways to manage slope are being worked out to avert any sliding of garbage, said an official.

Hussain asked the north and south MCDs to make necessary arrangements for fencing the sites and copy the best practices of the east MCD. The DPCC was asked to coordinate the efforts for preventing fire incidents with all the three civic bodies.

The crucial meeting was skipped by the three municipal commissioners even as other senior officers of the three civic bodies attended it along with the senior officers of the environment department, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

The meeting came in the backdrop of warnings by pollution bodies, including the Central Pollution Control Board, about air quality of Delhi deteriorating further from “very poor” to “severe” category in the coming days. Though the city’s air quality improved today with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 272 (poor) better than “very poor” category seen on Sunday.

Hussain emphasised that in such a situation, all the concerned authorities in Delhi must ensure that local factors do not adversely impact the air quality of the city.

The MCDs say they are trying to prevent fires, but landfill sites have exhausted their capacity for years now and are not scientifically equipped to handle the looming crisis. Owing to unavailability of lands and lack of alternative methods to dispose of garbage scientifically, as in many other Indian cities, the generated waste continue to make way to the overflowing landfills.

Meanwhile, three fire tenders have already been put on the job of dousing the blaze at the Bhalswa site where fire continues since October 20.