Overflowing landfills should be reclaimed to make way for scientifically-designed alternates and waste-to-energy plants should be installed here, a Delhi government panel has said.
Last week, the AAP government had formed an inquiry panel to look into the recent fires at the Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfills.
Apart from the identifying the causes, the four-member committee made recommendations for mitigating the environmental and health hazards here.
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The Bhalswa landfill gets 2,150 metric tonnes of unprocessed waste every day, which leads to methane generation. Without a gas extraction facility, the methane ends up burning, particularly in the summer. The committee recommended that the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, which maintains the landfill, install a gas extraction plant and a waste-to-energy plant – which the East Delhi Municipal Corporation has already done at Ghazipur. For Ghazipur, the committee has recommended expanding these facilities.
Since the Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfills were set up in 1994 and 1984 respectively, they are not engineered or planned as per the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000. The committee has recommended phasing out the landfills by using the garbage in waste-to-energy and compost plants.
Further, the landfills don’t have any fire prevention plans in place, for which the committee has recommended water tanks, PA systems and permanent fire tenders.
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The committee also looked into the fires in Shanti Van behind Rajghat. Though the cause could not be ascertained, the committee suggested that the DDA step up vigil in the area.
The committee, chaired by Special Secretary Environment and DPCC secretary Kulanand Joshi, will be sending its report to the Urban Development Department, which will send copies to the civic bodies.