Act against elements misleading people on landfills: L-G to MCD

New Delhi, October 29

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Saturday to take severe action against “elements” who are misleading the people, following Aam Aadmi Party’s allegations that the civic body is planning to create more waste dumping sites in the city.

“Have instructed MCD to take strict legal action against elements who mislead Delhi,” Delhi LG said in a tweet.

Saxena claimed that MCD has cleared 26.1 lakh metric tons of legacy waste in the past four months and the height of garbage mounds had come down by 10-15m. He also stated that no new dumping site is being planned in the city.

“Contrary to false claims by some people with partisan vested interests, not a single new dumping site is planned by MCD in the city”, the L-G tweeted.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday visited Ghazipur landfill site and claimed that the MCD was planning to develop 16 more landfill sites in the city. This was followed by demonstrations by AAP leaders in different parts of Delhi against the “new” landfill sites.

“The BJP was building a new “mountain of garbage” in Delhi. When AAP exposed it, the MCD went to clean it up at 12 o’clock in the night. The BJP people will do anything now. You will not be able to clean the misdeeds of 15 years! You can’t avoid losing MCD!” AAP leader Aatishi said on Friday.

Garbage and cleanliness in Delhi have become a hot topic ahead of MCD elections as both parties — AAP and BJP — attacked each other on the issue.

The elections for 250 MCD wards are expected around December and Delhi State Election Commission is gearing up for it.

Delhi generates around 11,000 metric tons of garbage, a significant part of which is dumped in the three landfill sites at Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla.

The cumulative capacity of waste processing in the city — at present — is 8,213 tons per day. That means a significant part of garbage generated daily is left unattended during collection and its further management.