CM Kejriwal to soon visit landfill sites in Delhi; MCD working to clear garbage vulnerable points: Mayor

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will visit all three landfill sites in Delhi in the coming week to inspect waste-processing work being undertaken there, Mayor Shelly Oberoi said on Friday.

Addressing a press conference at the Civic Centre here, she also said the effort of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi now is to ensure fresh waste does not have to be sent to landfill sites.

In response to a query, she said the MCD’s efforts are to take a ”positive approach” in carrying out cleanliness and sanitation work in the city, but in the long run, if anyone does not cooperate and litters any public place, then penal action could also be taken.

There are three landfill sites in Delhi, located at Okhla, Bhalaswa and Ghazipur.

On the landfill sites, she said, ”At Bhalswa, we have deployed the best technology, and whether it is the Delhi government or the MCD, we are making efforts to mitigate pollution”.

In the coming week, ”the CM, and we all will be going to inspect all three landfill sites,” she said.

The mayor told reporters that the MCD’s aim is to remove all ‘dhalao’ (dump yards) of Delhi.

A civic official said 158 ”fresh garbage vulnerable points” have been identified across the 12 zones of the MCD under ‘Ab Dilli Hogi Saaf’ campaign, and target is to clean these spots by first week of October.

Garbage vulnerable points are spots where trash is regularly dumped illegally.

The mayor said a maximum of 37 such points have been identified in Rohini Zone of the MCD, 22 points in Civil Lines Zone, and 15 points in Shahdara (South) Zone.

After removal of garbage, these spots will be beautified, and information signages will be installed to build awareness on cleanliness, she said, adding, RWAs and NGOs are being involved for local participation.

Big steel-made decorative dustbins will be installed at these spots, and FCTS (Fixed Compactor Transfer Station) will be installed in some areas, she added.

On a query on shortage of staff in some wards, while the mayor acknowledged it, she said, ”We are trying to fix the issue” and more people are planned to be regularised.

Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal said the ”fight against garbage” has now reached the smallest of lanes and gullies.

On a query on the issue of alleged illegal parking, she said, ”We are doing an inquiry” and one will ”see action in coming days”.

Also, Chief Minister Kejriwal has directed that ”new sites be identified for making parking lots”.

Later at a press conference, AAP’s MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak said the AAP-led MCD, under the leadership of Chief Minister Kejriwal, ”has gone into mission mode to remove all the garbage vulnerable points in Delhi”.

”We will raise awareness among local residents to not throw garbage after the points are cleaned,” he said.