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Delhi Wetland Vanishes: Blame Game Over Landfill Waste
10 Dec
Summary
- Jharoda Pond, a functional wetland, has disappeared due to waste dumping.
- Agencies like MCD, DDA, and DPCC are engaged in a blame game.
- The National Green Tribunal is investigating the wetland's demise.
The functional Jharoda Pond in North Delhi, once a thriving wetland ecosystem, has reportedly disappeared after being systematically filled with inert material from the Bhalswa landfill. This environmental degradation, which has transformed the wetland into leveled land, has prompted the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to initiate an investigation. Agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), are currently engaged in a blame game over who is responsible for the waste dumping.
The MCD, while acknowledging the bioremediation process at Bhalswa landfill, claims it is the private concessionaire's responsibility to ensure proper disposal of inert material. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has asserted that the DPCC is responsible for monitoring adherence to Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and ensuring environmental compliance at the site. Local residents have reported continuous dumping over at least two years with minimal official intervention.
The NGT took suo motu cognizance of the matter in July, issuing notices to various agencies for detailed reports. Despite the legal proceedings and investigations, the core issue of environmental accountability and the fate of Delhi's vanishing water bodies remains unresolved. The next hearing is scheduled for January 28, 2026, leaving the future of such ecological sites uncertain.
