On one hand where dust and smoke, caused by firecrackers and in general, are making the air more toxic, burning of horticulture waste and wild grass, on the other, is posing a major problem for the residents of the area.
Various initiatives were taken by the civic authorities to contain it and as a result, such incidences got reduced but now, the situation is back to square one. Most of the burning activities are being noticed in vacant plots, on back lanes and in isolated places.
“The lackadaisical approach of the DDA and the SDMC is the reason for rise in such activities,” locals say.
Moreover, they feel that it is easy to burn such waste than following a proper procedure, which proves to be time-taking.
S K Verma, a resident of Sector 17 said, “Disposal of wild bushes and horticulture waste is easy when burnt, so they burn. I have seen it. Well, there is a dire need of effective monitoring.”
The air quality post Diwali reached the extreme level as Particulate Matter (PM) 10 and 2.5 rose above 1000 in several places across the area. Besides bursting crackers, people were seen burning such waste without any fear of law and in ignorance.
Surender Singh, a resident of Sector 3 said, “I saw kids burning dry grass in the vacant land near Gauri Ganesh society. Some street children were playing there and they lit the fire. This could have been avoided if the grass would have been cleared by the authority concerned.”
Not just civic agencies but the RWAs and the management of several societies are equally responsible for creating such mess. But apparently, lack of promptness by the civic authorities forces residents to take temporary measures in order to keep their surroundings clean.
“The vacant space near chowks of the societies or on the main road or the vacant land, adjacent to any society are the places where they dump horticulture waste. I wonder why the municipal corporation or the DDA do not stop such practices. Proper monitoring would suffice,” Swati Chawla, a resident of Sector 10, said.
When City Spidey contacted one of the officials from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and asked about the steps taken by his department regarding this issue, he, on the condition of anonymity, said that challans have been issued against the violators.
He informed, “Under Najafgarh Zone, 34 challans were issued yesterday. Two challans were issued under NGT Act for burning dry leaves and garbage. Besides, 18 general challans and 14 challans were issued under the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act and Solid Waste Management bylaws.”
