New Delhi: The Central pollution watchdog has slammed the Delhi Government for dumping municipal garbage in an unscientific manner in over-utilised landfills posing health risks.
In an affidavit filed recently in the Delhi High Court, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of the Environment Ministry pointed that the state government has also failed to establish new sites despite the waste in the existing ones reaching an alarming level.
Delhi, which is the highest municipal solid waste producer in the country, is dumping nearly 8,000 tonnes per day in Ghazipur (70 acres) in East Delhi, Bhalswa-Jehangirpuri
(40 acres)in North Delhi and Okhla (56 acres) in South Delhi.
The affidavit which gives details of the current status of management of municipal solid waste and gaps observed in compliance of the related rules says that all the three sites have exhausted their life span.
"There is an urgent need to identify and develop new landfill sites in NCR region. Existing landfill sites and new sites needs to be operated as per rules."
A CPCB official said this is the latest report of the body submitted to the High Court on the status of collection, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of municipal
solid waste in Delhi.
"So far, 29 such reports have been submitted but the state government has not been able to take adequate steps to manage solid waste in the city," he said.
It said these sites are expected to become a serious cause of groundwater pollution in their vicinity.
The waste is being dumped without being treated and methane generation in the uncovered waste piles is igniting smoldering surface fires, says the report.
With continuous addition of landfill mass there is a progressive increase in their height, it adds. Out of 8000 tonnes of estimated waste generated every day, only about 300 tonnes of waste is processed for composting, much below installed capacity of the three compost plants.
"Main problem associated with operation of compost plants relates to subsidy by government and sale of products (compost) and also its fertility value," it has noted.
When asked, Municipal commissioner K S Mehra said, "We had identified Narela-Bawana, Jaitpur, Ghummenhera and Bakarwala sites for the purpose but because of protest by locals and technical reasons these are yet to be operationalized."
He said efforts were also being taken to focus on segregation at household level for better treatment of waste.
According to a study, the expected quantity of solid waste generated in Delhi is likely to increase to 12,750 tonnes per day by 2015 with boom in population, rapid economic
growth and rise in community living standard.
PTI
