Ghazipur landfill fire: BJP vs AAP blame game on as Delhi residents suffer with ‘breathing’ issues

The fire at the Ghazipur landfill area sparked a political fuss between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday.

Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva slammed the Arvind Kejriwal-led government and said that the “life of the people in adjacent areas, in Mayur Vihar and Kondli, has become hell,” and accused that, “the game of corruption is being played here.”

Sachdeva slammed the AAP govt and said, “AAP and Arvind Kejriwal had announced that they would remove this landfill by December 2023. The cause of the fire should be investigated...The causes are natural, there is corruption behind this. It should be investigated and action should be taken against the guilty. AAP chief and the party are on dialysis.”

Sachdeva further alleged that 25 machines should have been deployed here but half of the machines are not working. “Who is responsible? Will Arvind Kejriwal take responsibility? The Tender is not being renewed. A Standing Committee is not being formed. Decisions are not being taken. Who is responsible? Arvind Kejriwal...The day BJP government is formed in Delhi, all three landfills in Delhi will be removed within a year.”

According to the Delhi Fire Service, the landfill witnessed a big fire Sunday evening due to the gases produced in the massive mountain of waste.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh hits back at the BJP and called it a “corrupt party that has included all the corrupt leaders in their party. They are going to change the Constitution.”

Singh informed, “All the MCD officials are working on it. The Fire Department has also been working. The fire will be brought under control soon.”

Complaints of throat and breathing irritation were received from several residents who live close to the landfill. A local told ANI, “We are facing difficulties in breathing due to the smoke caused by the fire. We are unable to talk due to pollution...The fire has been continuing since yesterday morning. The administration has not done anything...We want the government to solve the issue.”

Another resident, Nazra said that the smoke is causing discomfort to the eyes. “The entire colony is disturbed. Last time, when the landfill caught fire, there were casualties,” she added.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police filed a case under IPC sections 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 278 (Making atmosphere noxious to health) of the IPC against the “unidentified accused”.

Furthermore, LoP in Delhi MCD Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh said that the incident “shows vileness of AAP in MCD”, and added, “ People are suffering because of smoke. People are suffering because of smoke. During our (BJP) times, 25 machines were used to work here, now more than half are not working. Garbage has increased and they are finding no other ways. This seems to me as mischief by someone in association with the leaders of AAP to make contractors happy and earn money through corruption. They have nothing to do with people, this mountain of garbage is also a mountain of lies.”

By 2019, the Ghazipur landfill had reached a towering 65 meters, just eight meters shorter than the Qutub Minar. In 2017, a section of the landfill's garbage collapsed onto a nearby road, causing the deaths of two people.

In 2022, the Ghazipur landfill experienced three fire incidents, including a blaze on March 28 that took over 50 hours to extinguish.

(With inputs from ANI)