Ghazipur landfill incident: Waste to be dumped near Delhi-Haryana border

Decisions were taken day after portion of Ghazipur's landfill collapsed killing two persons

With the L-G on Saturday imposing a ban on dumping of garbage at the Ghazipur landfill site, the waste meant for it would be diverted to a temporary site in Ranikhera near the Delhi-Haryana border, civic officials said.

The decisions were taken a day after a portion of Ghazipur's mountainous landfill collapsed killing two persons and injuring five others.

"The city's garbage, which was being sent to Ghazipur site would now be taken to a temporary site in Ranikhera near the Delhi-Haryana border," a senior civic body official said.

Earlier a decision was taken to divert the garbage to Bhalswa landfill site (about 50-metre high), but as it is already used way beyond its saturation, a new site was identified, he said.

Meanwhile, the traffic on the street neighbouring the giant landfill at Ghazipur has been temporarily stopped, said East Delhi Mayor Neema Bhagat.

A car, a scooter and two motorcycles were swept into a canal by the momentum of the hurtling garbage and slush. While Raj Kumari (32) and Abhishek (22) died, five persons were injured in the incident.

A portion of the giant landfill at Ghazipur, which is 45 -metre high as per the EDMC, caved in a day after torrential rain had lashed Delhi-- the heaviest in three years.

Lt Governor Baijal today held a meeting to take stock of the situation, his office said.

Garbage dumping at the Ghazipur site has been banned with immediate effect and the landfill site is likely to be cleared within two years, it said.

Baijal also directed that traffic be diverted on the road adjoining the landfill, for proper vehicular movement.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) manages the landfill site that was started in 1984 and is spread over 29 acres.

"The Ghazipur site had reached its saturation point in 2012 itself. The DDA is working on allotting an alternative site, but we have to take clearance of the NGT before that," the EDMC mayor said.

According to officials, the permissible height for a garbage dump is 20 m. Every day, 2,500-3000 metric tonnes of garbage are dumped at the Ghazipur site.

The humongous heap sits like a Leviathan, with eagles and crows circling even as the stench from the mountain of trash fills the air.

AAP spokesperson Dilip Pandey said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and MCD should work together to finalise a new garbage dumping site in the city at the earliest.

Incidentally, the EDMC in last November had signed an MoU with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for using the solid waste from the site, in the construction of Delhi- Meerut Expressway, a section of the NH-24.

"The NHAI has assured the L-G that it will begin the process of lifting, segregating and processing of the solid waste by November 2017, for its use in road construction," the L-G office said in a statement today.

The other major dumping sites in the city are in Okhla and Narela-Bawana.

Meanwhile, North Delhi Mayor Preety Agarwal today said the "Bhalswa landfill site poses a similar threat", and that she has directed authorities to take immediate and necessary step to avoid a repeat of the Ghazipur incident.

Bhalswa landfill site falls under the jurisdiction of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. She has sought a status report from the Municipal Commissioner about the landfill site, the NDMC said.