New Delhi: The Congress will ensure closure of all the sanitary landfills across Delhi within a span of 2 years if elected to power in the upcoming civic polls, said former Union minister of environment and forests Jairam Ramesh on Sunday. He said such sites in the national capital are a “disgrace” for the incumbent government.
“These sites in the national capital are a disgrace not only for the government, but also for the society. They risk the health of local residents,” the former minister said,
Addressing a public meeting in Ghazipur locality, the former Union minister said the presence of sanitary landfills risks the health of local residents. There should be greenery instead, he added.
He attacked the BJP for vouching for a “Congress Mukt Bharat (Congress Free India)” and said that the party wants to make India free from sanitary landfills and open defecation. The Congress-led MCD will build a mechanism to transport biodegradable waste to the local compost machine which will then be converted into fertiliser, bringing down the amount of waste going to landfill sites, Mr Ramesh said.
Delhi generates approximately 9,000 metric ton of waste daily. The Congress leader claimed that more than 40 per cent (3600 metric ton) goes untreated. The city needs efficient waste management system including proper segregation and composting at the earliest, he said, adding that households will be given free blue and green bins for waste segregation.
On the waste management system, he said that the Congress-run civic bodies will strictly adhere to the revised Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The MCD will follow the
5-R concept for waste-management: reduce, reuse, re-cover, recycle and remanufacture, he added.
Mr Ramesh claimed he left no stone unturned for closing the landfills located in Narela-Bawana, Bhalas-wa, Okhla and Ghazipur localities during his tenure as the union minister of environment and forests.
All directives sent by his ministry were met with deaf ears in the BJP-ruled MCD, he said.
