In an alarming environmental crisis, a severe fire broke out on the evening of April 21 at the Ghazipur landfill site in East Delhi. Nearly nine fire tenders rushed to douse the raging flames. Frequent fires at major landfill sites like Ghazipur and Bhalswa are recurrent as temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius each year, transforming the landfills into infernal landscapes.
"We received a call about the fire at 5:22 PM. Two fire tenders were immediately deployed to combat the blaze. Efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing, and local police have been notified," stated an officer from the Delhi Fire Service.
A senior MCD official assured that all efforts are being made to contain the fire, while the BJP targeted the Delhi government for not fulfilling its promise to clear the Ghazipur landfill site by December 31 of last year.
BJP Spokesperson Reminds of Kejriwal's Promise
BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor stated in a release that the spreading smoke from the fire is causing considerable inconvenience to residents and businesses. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised, prior to the MCD elections in 2022, to clear the Ghazipur landfill site by December 31, 2023, but instead the site has seen more waste added. In 2019, the height of the Ghazipur landfill site was 65 meters—just eight meters shy of the Qutub Minar’s height.
BJP's Assault on AAP's Governance
The BJP, in a sharp attack, accused that the capital may not have become 'London', but recurrent fires in its 'mountains of trash' seem to be turning it to ashes. Sharing a video of the fire, BJP said, "This horrific clip of the Ghazipur landfill fire is heart-stopping. With AAP now in MCD, who will they hold accountable?"
BJP leader Kapil Mishra commented, "A terrible fire has erupted at the Ghazipur landfill site in Delhi. The toxic smoke is blending into the air. Kejriwal campaigned for the MCD election using this very Ghazipur landfill's images. The smoke is as poisonous and endless as Kejriwal's lies."
BJP to Highlight the Issue
BJP plans to aggressively present this issue along with the alleged liquor policy scam and the so-called CM residence renovation scam to the public in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to sources within the Delhi BJP, they aim to take this matter to the masses, particularly those residing near these massive garbage dumps.
In the midst of electoral season, while CM Kejriwal remains absent, BJP is not holding back in attacking their political adversaries. "We are planning protests against AAP's failure to sanitize these landfill sites, as we have raised other issues like the liquor scandal and the Shish Mahal scandal, and we shall raise this matter with equal tenacity," shared a BJP leader from Delhi.
Delhi BJP President Virender Sachdeva and Leader of the Opposition in MCD Raja Iqbal Singh are scheduled to visit the Ghazipur landfill site tomorrow. Amidst the poll season, the fire at the landfill site has intensified the pressure on AAP.
