Will shift East Delhi landfill, assures L-G

New Delhi: Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday reportedly assured a delegation of the Delhi pradesh Congress committee, headed by its chief Ajay Maken, to shift a proposed sanitary landfill site from Geeta colony. Mr Maken along with former city minister A K Walia and representatives of  the trans-Yamuna area told  the LG that the proposed landfill site was basically  marked for a hospital by the Delhi development authority.

After the meeting, Mr Maken told reporters that the LG  had agreed to issue orders that no landfill site will be constructed in  Geeta colony. He  said the LG agreed with the views of the Congress delegation that no landfill site should be constructed in the middle of  a thickly-populated area like Krishna Nagar, which will be not only a serious health-hazard for the residents of the area, but also add to the already polluted Delhi air. Mr Maken said many colonies such as Rani Garden, Shastri Nagar, Sarojini Naidu Park, Sunder Park, Aaram Park, Geeeta Colony, New Lahore Colony, Taj Enclave, Chacha Nehru Hospital and  Laxmi Nagar were in proximity to the proposed landfill site, which is barely 200 feet away from the Yamuna river bank. 

Mr Maken said since the air pollution in Delhi was very high, adding a sanitary landfill in such an area “will be suicidal” for the people  and will result in airborne diseases and pollution of sub-soil water. He said :  “The river Yamuna is across the road, and the river will also get polluted. During rainy season, the sub-soil water and seepage from Yamuna will result in contamination/poisoning of the water belt underneath.” Mr Maken said “sanitary landfill sites are never made near the river and in an heavly populated area. As per the Master Plan, this site is earmarked for a hospital”. He said Dr Walia had also met the Municipal Commissioner to take up the issue, and with the LG agreeing to their demand  that there should not be any landfill at the proposed site, the residents of the area will be saved from severe air and water pollution. He said the LG had told the delegation that orders have already been issued that no landfill construction  be carried out at the Rani Garden site near Geeta Colony.

Mr Maken said  when some people died at the Ghazipur landfill site, a Congress delegation  under his leadership had met the LG and taken up the issue of solid waste management.