New Delhi, March 4 Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena on Tuesday reiterated the government’s promise to make the city pollution-free and launched a new initiative to convert the Bhalswa landfill near the northern border into a green patch of bamboo groves planted on the land that has been cleared over the last two years.
Addressing media persons, along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, LG Saxena said the land was cleared over the last two years and today around 2,000 bamboo trees were planted.
“Nearly, 54,000 trees will be planted in the next one-and-a-half months. The goal is to make this site green... bamboo trees were selected because they release 30 per cent more oxygen, consume less water, and grow fast... Within a year, when you pass this landfill site, you will see a green patch instead of heaps of trash,” said LG Saxena.
Hailing the contribution of the Central government and the LG in steering the biomining and land reclamation project, CM Gupta slammed the previous AAP government for only talking about fighting pollution but failing to work on the ground.
Promising to conduct monthly visits to monitor the project, CM Gupta said the Delhi government is working in mission mode and its results will be visible in the greening of this patch of land.
“We will visit all the three landfill sites and within one year we aim to lower the height of the mountains of garbage and develop green projects. The 'Double Engine' government will work with double speed as the government is in mission mode,” she said.
“The waste removed from this site is being used in several road construction projects of the NHAI and levelling of DDA grounds,” she said, promising to make the city greener under Viksit Bharat@2047 mission.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that Delhi has got rid of about 35 per cent of the Bhalswa landfill site in the last two years.
“About 25 acres out of the landfill sites' 70 acres have been reclaimed till now. Today plantation has been done on 5 acres of reclaimed land and we aim to cover the entire area by World Environment Day (June 5),” he said.
He said the previous AAP government was busy building 'Sheesh Mahal' for Arvind Kejriwal and did not have the priority to deal with the mountains of garbage at landfills.
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