Walia wants garbage-free Delhi before CWG

Delhi Urban Development and Finance Minister (UDFM) A K Walia today asked the MCD to prepare a target based short term action plan to dispose of municipal solid waste with an aim to show case a garbage-free Delhi during Commonwealth Games 2010. ''The MCD should bring more zones under the door-to-door collection scheme,'' Dr Walia said in a high-level meeting on the issue of management of solid waste in Delhi. ''There is a need to understand the true spirit of municipal solid waste managementrules which were framed in 2000 but nothing concrete has been done in this direction till now,'' he added.

Dr Walia stated that much more is required to be done to strengthen the work of collection, transportation and treatment of solid waste in Delhi. Calling transportation of around 8,000 metric tonne waste per day a big challenge, he asserted that the problem is becoming complex as landfill sites at Okhla, Bhalaswa and Gazipur have no capacity to take in more garbage and waste. ''It is imperative to segregate and recycle the waste to achieve the goal of zero level landfill sites,'' he opined. Dr Walia suggested that there should be no flying of garbage from the trucks as it may prove to be a health hazard.

Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sen informed the meeting that the MCD was also augmenting its fleet of mechanical sweepers and intends to undertake twice a day sweeping in Delhi. Dr Walia told strictly that no garbage should be visible on the roads and around colonies, as a large number of tourists and visitors, including foreigners would be in Delhi during Commonwealth Games. He also asked the MCD to properly utilise the funds sanctioned by the government.