The persistent blaze at Delhi's Ghazipur landfill site, raging since Sunday evening, remains untamed. Despite intense efforts, the mountain of waste continues to burn, enveloping the area in toxic gases and smoke, transforming it into a hazard for nearby communities. The region is now shrouded in smoke and stench, making breathing laborious for residents. Similarly, Delhi's other landfills at Bhalswa and Okhla have become sources of constant distress to locals.
However, such incidents of fire are not uncommon at Ghazipur. Six were reported in 2019, which rose to eight in 2020. Four occurrences were noted in 2021, and five in Ghazipur's waste mountains in 2022.
In 2019, the Okhla landfill site witnessed 25 fire outbreaks. This number came down to six in 2020 and two in 2022. Meanwhile, at Bhalswa landfill, six fire incidents were identified in 2019. The year 2020 recorded one, whereas a sharp increase to 21 incidents occurred in 2021, and 14 outbreaks were noted in 2022.
BJP to Visit Landfill Site Today
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said, "It is shameful that due to the negligent criminal indifference of the corrupt Arvind Kejriwal-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi, a fire has erupted at the Ghazipur landfill site, emitting dense smoke. The BJP has announced that Delhi BJP President Virender Sachdeva, Opposition Leader in the Municipal Corporation Raja Iqbal Singh, and other party leaders will reach the landfill site at 9:30 am Monday."
Jayant Chaudhary Mocks the Situation
Jayant Chaudhary of RLD shared a video of the fire on platform X, ridiculing the poor waste management. His post read, "Just passed by the horrifying fire at Ghazipur landfill! Preventing such blazes is challenging and highlights the systematic failure of our waste management policies and practices."
BJP Targets MCD Over Inefficiency
The BJP has heavily criticized the AAP-governed MCD. Praveen Shankar Kapoor articulated, "Arvind Kejriwal promised to clear this landfill site before the 2022 Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections by December 31, 2023. However, not only have the old mountains of waste not been cleared, but now a new mountain has emerged. Regrettably, while Arvind Kejriwal is in jail today, neither environment minister Gopal Rai nor mayor Dr. Shelly Oberoi deemed it necessary to visit the site."
AAP Deputy Mayor's Statement
Ali Mohammed Iqbal, the AAP's deputy mayor, wrote on platform X that, 'After the fire event at Ghazipur landfill site was reported, the site was inspected. Officials have been instructed to rapidly contain the fire. The fire erupted due to the heat and dry conditions. Five excavators and additional fire engines are present to control the fire, in fact, the election for the mayor of Delhi Municipal Corporation is slated for April 26.'.
The AAP had guaranteed the eradication of all three landfill sites from Delhi in the 2022 MCD elections. Upon winning, Arvind Kejriwal and his team visited the Ghazipur landfill site. Today, with the Chief Minister of Delhi in Tihar Jail, BJP has the opportunity to pressure AAP politically and potentially capitalize on this issue in the upcoming Delhi mayor election. Six months after the general elections, the Delhi Assembly elections are due, and this incident of fire is sure to escalate the political temperature, especially during the election season. MCD has targeted the disposal of all waste in Delhi's three landfill sites by 2024, but results remain to be seen.
