Stop Dumping and Burning of Garbage Near Vasundhara Enclave Delhi India

14 Oct 2007

To

The Honorable President of India
Fax-23017290/23017824

Respected Madame,

Sub: The unbearable menace of burning Plastic waste in the Garbage dumped around Vasundhara Enclave Group Housing colony.

Vasundhara Enclave is a cluster of Co-operative group housing societies located in East Delhi across Yamuna River. The land covering about 100 acres was originally low lying mostly used for farming. DDA took over the land and filled-up with garbage before handing over to group housing societies for construction.

With passage of time now about 55 plus housing societies have completed the construction and about 5000 plus families are living. But the dumping of garbage in the peripheral low land around the colony has not been stopped. Mischievous rag pickers who rummage the heaps are frequently burning the garbage.

The garbage contains large quantity of plastic and polymer substances that do not burn fully but keep smoldering for long hours. During night hours the heavy fumes lie low on ground surface and enter the houses causing difficulty in breathing. I have spent innumerable sleepless nights in past six years of my stay in the colony. The malice lies with the corrupt practices of DDA. No Town Planner in the entire globe will consciously give a piece of land filled up with garbage for housing projects.

First of all DDA should have filled-up the land with selected material and developed the colony. Having already messed-up, secondly once when the area is inhabited, they should have stopped permission for dumping garbage around the colony in vacant plots.

The continued practice of dumping garbage in front of 5000 families living in the colony is very cruel. The garbage from the colony itself is being properly transported to the Gazipur sanitary fill. It is the industrial waste from the adjoining NOIDA which is being carted across the border without any stopping by either the Check-post Policemen or the Toll-Tax collection men.

I had contacted Delhi Police for finding some solution to stop the burning of garbage in this manner. Delhi Police was not able understand the problem due lack of interest even though the local SHO obliged to go around the area and look at the dumps. But further no help came from them. Since the burning could not be stopped at the right moment, I requested the Delhi Fire service to at-least douse the fire once found, but they are also reluctant to help in dousing the fire again as dousing the smoldering garbage is not their duty as against a house on fire.

To my satisfaction my complaint to Ministry of Environment and Forests was luckily acknowledged, and forwarded to Director in MCD. But almost a year has passed and no action is being taken by MCD. In this situation, I suggest that at least instructions can be given to the Policemen at the border check-post and to the Toll-Tax collection men to stop the entry of garbage from across the border from NOIDA into Delhi. After suffering the menace for more than six years now, I appeal to your good office in hope of some relief soon.

Thanking You

(S.Y.NARAYANAN)
C-001, HINDON APTS,
VASUNDHARA ENCLAVE, DELHI-110096,
Ph:22625224,

Cell:9891831663

synarayanan@ntpceoc.co.in

The unbearable menace of burning Plastic waste in the Garbage dumped around Vasundhara Enclave Group Housing colony.