The deaths of two people due to a collapse at the Ghazipur landfill on Friday became a flashpoint between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the BJP-ruled East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), with each blaming the other for the incident.
After visiting the site with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Kondli MLA Manoj Kumar, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that landfills were the wrong way to handle the city’s garbage.
Mr. Kejriwal later tweeted: “Visited Ghazipur site. Its man made disaster. Criminal. Mountains of garbage. Why doesn't MCD use modern technology to manage solid waste? (sic).”
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The landfill is maintained by the EDMC.
Over capacity: Mayor
EDMC Mayor Neema Bhagat, however, hit back at the Delhi government saying it had been “irresponsible”.
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“The landfill has been operating beyond its capacity since around 2002. We have requested for land to ease the burden. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has approved 150 acres for us. The NOC is likely to be issued in September,” Ms. Bhagat said.
Reacting to Ms. Bhagat’s statement, AAP Delhi spokesperson and Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj lashed out at her “ignorance”.
“The DDA, which is responsible for allotting land, and the civic bodies, which oversee the landfill, both fall under the Centre through the Lieutenant-Governor and the BJP,” he said.
“The government does not control land. The BJP-led municipalities just need a scapegoat for their inaction. This is a clear case of negligence... we will have to wait for an inquiry to see who is responsible,” Mr. Bharadwaj said.
‘Compensate victims’
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari expressed concern over the incident and said he has asked for a report from the east Delhi Mayor. He added that it was important to develop alternate landfill sites for Delhi and scientific disposal of garbage.
Delhi Congress head Ajay Maken asked for compensation for the victims.