MLAs from the Aam Aadmi Party demonstrated against “garbage mismanagement” and the alleged Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) intention to build 16 new landfill sites throughout the national Capital on Friday.
MCD has officially said that it has no plans to establish new landfills and that those promoting the rumour will face consequences.
AAP supporters and MLAs gathered near the garbage collection points in their assembly districts on Friday and chanted anti-Bharatiya Janata Party slogans while carrying signs (BJP).
AAP MLA from Kalkaji Atishi said that there were “eight feet high garbage mounds” on Kalkaji’s streets near Govindpuri and the “MCD was forced” to clean them up under pressure from the AAP. She added that MCD has started work on making another mountain of garbage near Govindpuri Metro station. “All the people living in Kalkaji know that there were eight-feet high garbage mounds here. When we exposed the BJP-ruled MCD, the BJP got it cleaned last night. The BJP has turned whole Delhi into a garbage city, and now it is going to build garbage mountains at 16 more places in Delhi,” she said.
In light of rumours that municipal elections may be scheduled soon, the AAP has stepped up its campaign against the poor sanitation records of the three BJP-controlled municipal corporations. During the 15 years that the BJP dominated the MCD, sanitation employees participated in numerous strikes, which caused rubbish piles to start to emerge alongside the highways. In May, the Centre combined the three civic organisations, and two individuals chosen by the Centre now oversee the MCD.
Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj led the protest near Chirag Dilli. The legislator said the the BJP ruled MCD has turned the city into a garbage capital in the last 15 years. “The garbage mountains of Bhalswa, Okhla and Ghazipur created by the BJP have already made life difficult for Delhiites. BJP is making 16 more garbage mountains for which some areas have also been identified,” he added.
Kondli MLA Shri Kuldeep Kumar said that people’s lives have become unbearable due to the stench of garbage around the landfills and now BJP is going to build mountains of garbage at 16 new places. Similar protests were held at Timarpur, Burari, Tilak Nagar, Burari among other sites.
MCD emphasised that it will take strict action against deceptive campaigns at a press conference on Friday. The civic organisation complained to the police about AAP members making announcements about the construction of a new dump in RK Puram on Wednesday.
In an official statement, MCD said, “It has come to notice that false information is being spread that 16 new landfill sites will be established. The corporation would like to assure the citizens that the civic body has no plan to create 16 new landfill sites in the city, and will take strict action against people spreading such falsehood.”
“MCD has deployed 44 trommel machines at three landfill sites with capacity to process approximately 20.000-22,000 tonnes of garbage in a day. We have processed 7.7 million tonnes of legacy waste till date and the height of garbage mounds has decreased by 15 metres at Okhla landfill site and nearly 18 metres at Ghazipur landfill,” the officials said.
