New Delhi: Chief minister Rekha Gupta Saturday inspected Okhla landfill and said 217.2 lakh metric tonnes of waste had been cleared from Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfill sites over the past 18 months, reclaiming nearly 100 acres of land.According to officials, the quantity of waste cleared is equivalent to around two lakh truckloads, while the reclaimed land is comparable to about 57 standard football fields.Gupta reviewed the progress of legacy-waste remediation and the status of new waste-processing facilities. She emphasised the need to tackle accumulated waste while simultaneously ensuring scientific processing of the fresh waste generated daily in the city.“The mountains of garbage that have accumulated in Delhi over the years due to prolonged neglect are now being reduced rapidly through Delhi govt’s sustained efforts. Our objective is not only to clear legacy waste but also to scientifically process fresh waste and prevent it from turning into another mountain of garbage. With this objective, the capacity of new processing facilities is being increased,” Gupta said.“Over the past 18 months, 217.2 lakh metric tonnes of waste have been disposed of at the Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfill sites, freeing nearly 100 acres of land. With the commissioning of new plants, the pace of scientific processing and disposal of waste will be further increased,” she added.The chief minister held a review meeting with officials on waste disposal, reclaimed land and the operational readiness of upcoming processing facilities.Gupta said clearing waste visible on the surface alone would not be enough and stressed the need for scientific remediation of the legacy waste accumulated beneath.She also directed officials to strengthen systems for handling fresh municipal waste and ensure that new processing facilities become fully operational at the earliest.During the visit, Gupta also virtually laid the foundation stones for new waste-processing plants at Okhla, Singhola and Ghazipur. The projects include facilities with capacities of 1,400 tonnes per day (TPD) at Okhla, 700 TPD at Singhola and 800 TPD at Ghazipur. She laid the foundation stone for a 300-TPD biogas plant in Ghazipur for processing biodegradable waste. In addition, Gupta virtually inaugurated a newly built Maternity and Child Care Centre in Kotla Mubarakpur.“Govt is working simultaneously on increasing processing capacity, scientific waste management, waste-to-resource and renewable energy to make Delhi cleaner and better. Govt is committed to gradually eliminating the mountains of garbage that have been a part of Delhi’s identity for years and building a clean, beautiful and sustainable Delhi,” she said.Urban development minister Ashish Sood said Delhi could address its garbage problem by creating waste-processing capacity exceeding the city’s daily waste generation. He added that govt was focused on solutions rather than assigning blame for long-standing issues.
