Ghazipur landfill: A waste bomb

A junkyard which is going to be high as India's heritage monument Qutub Minar. Despite of its height this landfill is news because of poor waste management techniques. People leaving nearby have to bear the consequences of this trash which is located in East Delhi.

What is this Landfill?

Located in East Delhi Ghazipur, this landfill site had started in 1984 in land with 29 acres. It started with certain benchmarks which were:maximum height 15 meter, should not take more than 29 acres of land, regular waste management, only segregated waste should be thrown, should have certain capacity to hold waste.

But today, not really today, in 2002 it had crossed all its benchmarks and limits. But it didn't pulled anyone's concern back then. Media which is known as fourth pillar of democracy started its coverage when an accident happened in September 2017 in which heavy rain caused a trash slide claiming lives of two people living nearby.

source-Phys.org

A Rising Mess

After that accident certain figures and facts came out of the line which were alarming. This should have been shut down 17 years from now as it reached its saturation limit in 2002. It measures around the size of 40 football fields. Delhi generates around 9,000 metric tonnes of waste every day in which Ghazipur junkyard receives 4,000 metric tonnes and remaining is thrown at Bhalswa and Okhla. Around 700 truck visit everyday to empty their non-segregated garbage. This much of trash being thrown everyday which now has piled up and reaches height upto 65 metres which is merely lacking 8 metres from Qutub Minar and Taj Mahal.

An issue of concern

Civilians living nearby this site complain about frequent fires that take place in this trash. These frequent fires arise due to some toxic gases like methane and carbon monoxide. Not just the fire this garbage brings other problems such as dirty drinking water and polluted air. Gases like methane and CO pollutes the aura around the vicinity resulting in lung damage and lung problems to people living around. Due these gases fire is common at night which creates another chance of trash slide. People often complain about the water reaching their homes, they describe it black and with insects floating in it. This is all due to the garbage present in front of them which is not even segregated. Studies suggests that if we go deep inside the waste it is 35-40% moist in nature. This moisture converts in water and absorbed by ground resulting in pollution of Yamuna river and ground water too. This is the reason why civilians get dirty black water with insects floating in it.

In spite of these pollution problems people living around Ghazipur face the torments and taunts of society. "When we invite their relatives to visit our home they refuse by saying that there is pile of trash in your colony" says people who lives in Mulla colony(Ghazipur).

Steps to manage this pile 

Most important concern is to manage this pile but how? This the responsibility of EDMC and all other officials who have been ignoring this. Some methods and practices that can be suggested and implemented are:

• First and foremost is segregated waste. The waste of we generate are mostly moist and dry while in 85% of India did not separate the garbage. The same problem is in Ghazipur and other landfills in Delhi. Research suggest that the top of landfill is dry which usually catches fire but if you go deep in then it around 40% moist. This uncommon trash is useless as it cannot be segregated to process it. This moisture then absorbed by surface of land which pollutes the ground water in nearby areas. Therefore segregation of waste is must.
• Second is processing of waste. According to news reports Ghazipur trash can be old as 35 years. Every educated person knows the residue problems of garbage, that how can it pollute the aura. While 35 yrs old trash as dangerous as cancer. An initiative needs to be taken by EDMC to process those harmful and dangerous waste which is polluting the city.