‘Nod for in-principle allotment of alternative landfill site to EDMC’

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Monday informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that in-principle approval for allotment of land at alternative landfill sites has been granted.

The urban body told the Bench headed by NGT Acting Chairperson Jawad Rahim that approval for allotment of land at Sonia Vihar and Ghonda Gujran had been granted.

Kush Sharma, the counsel appearing for the DDA, informed the green panel that approval had been granted based on reports filed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).

“The DDA has approved in principle the allotment of land for solid waste management processing and disposal facilities at Sonia Vihar and Ghonda Gujran to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation [EDMC], subject to clearance by the NGT and the Environment Impact Assessment [EIA], which the civic body has to obtain,” he submitted before the Bench.

Earlier, the EDMC had moved an application in the green court seeking directions to the urban body to hand over the land as the current landfill site at Ghazipur has exceeded the permissible limit.

‘Alarming situation’

“The only available site in EDMC in Ghazipur, which was saturated way back in 2000, continues to receive 1,600 metric tonnes of waste on a daily basis, even 17 years after the scheduled closure. This is an alarming situation since gases trapped inside the site are a ticking bomb, which, if an explosion takes place, will result in cataclysmic repercussion for thousands of people who live in close proximity thereto,” read the plea.