Initiate criminal proceeding against BJP councillors, mayors for Delhi landfill fires: AAP

 NEW DELHI: The AAP on Wednesday demanded that criminal proceedings should be initiated against BJP councillors and mayors of the three municipal corporations for frequent incidents of fire at "garbage hills" located at the borders of the capital.

Reacting to the remarks, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor accused the AAP of indulging in "petty politics" over the issue and said, "Fires at landfill sites during heatwave months is normal".

The remarks came a day after a massive fire broke out at the Bhalswa landfill site in north Delhi on Tuesday.

Several videos showed the blaze churning out dense plumes of smoke and turning the sky hazy grey.

Recently, a massive fire had broken out at Ghazipur landfill site.

AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said the three landfill sites, which have taken shape of hills over the years, are "living proof of rampant corruption" prevailing in the three civic bodies under the BJP.

"These garbage hills are BJP's sole gift to the people of Delhi. Fire at these landfill sites have become a regular story. These three garbage hills are living proof of the BJP's rampant corruption in MCD," Pathak said at a press conference.

The creation of the three garbage hills and frequent incidents of fire breaking out there is nothing but "criminal negligence" on the part of the BJP and its leaders as they did not do anything to address the problem, he charged.

"The Aam Aadmi Party demands that a criminal proceeding be initiated against the BJP councillors and all three mayors of the municipal corporations. An FIR must be registered against them for criminal negligence and they should be put behind bars," he added.

Earlier in the day, senior AAP leader and Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the BJP-ruled municipal corporations should have had used bulldozers to clear the mountains of garbage in Delhi as he blamed "corruption" in the MCDs for the frequent fires at landfills in the city.

The minister had last night asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to submit a report on the fire at the Bhalswa landfill site within 24 hours.

Kapoor accused the two AAP leaders of indulging in "petty politics" over the issue and said, "Fires at landfill sites during heatwave months is normal occurrence."

He also raked up the issue of shortage of funds with the north and east civic bodies and alleged that the Arvind Kejriwal government always "tries to bully" the two corporations, instead of providing financial assistance to them.

"The problem of landfill sites has become acute as both the North DMC and East DMC lack the funds required to end this menace speedily," the BJP leader said.