Delhi LG Calls for Swift Garbage Disposal as Landfill Crisis Persists

Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, VK Saxena, expressed grave disappointment over the stagnant bioremediation of municipal solid waste at Okhla and other landfill sites. During a visit to the Okhla landfill, Saxena urged the Municipal Corporation to rapidly escalate the waste disposal process to resolve existing sanitation and health issues.

After receiving multiple complaints from resident welfare associations, market trader associations, citizen groups, and public representatives about the burgeoning garbage crisis and associated health risks, Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, VK Saxena, inspected the Okhla landfill site on Monday, according to a statement issued by the LG Office.

The statement released on Tuesday detailed Saxena's disappointment with the sluggish bioremediation rate of municipal solid waste at Okhla and other landfill locations around the city. Under Saxena's supervision starting May 2022, when he initiated monitoring measures, the disposal rate increased significantly from 1.41 lakh metric tons per month to 6.5 lakh metric tons by May 2023. However, recent observations highlighted a decline in daily disposal rates from 22,000 metric tons to about 20,000 metric tons, falling short of Saxena's target of 33,000 metric tons per day.

Previously, the LG stepped back from overseeing municipal waste management following a Supreme Court stay on a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that named him Chairperson of the High-Level Committee for the Yamuna's rejuvenation on July 11, 2023. Despite no judicial stay on his landfill oversight role, the LG treated the SC's stay as an implicit limitation, ceasing personal involvement.

Saxena was briefed on the halted bioremediation efforts, which were proceeding at a rate of 4,000-5,000 metric tons daily until November 28, 2024, at Okhla, pending new tender processes. The landfill at Ghazipur lags the most in bioremediation progress. The Municipal Corporation plans to dispose of 20 lakh metric tons of solid waste across three sites within a year and an additional 10 lakh metric tons the following year. Saxena instructed the MCD to expedite clearing 30 lakh metric tons in one year, ensuring the cleared land is properly leveled for use.

This call to action follows several appeals received over recent months, leading to Saxena convening a meeting with officers last week and visiting the landfill site, as confirmed by the statement. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)