Speed News Desk
| Updated on: 2 September 2017, 14:17 IST
At least two people died, while five others were rescued on 1st August after fifty tonnes of garbage came crashing down the 16-storey-high mountain of waste at east Delhi's Ghazipur landfill site.
Around four to five vehicles fell into the Kondli canal.
The Delhi Police said that rescue operations are underway.
A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was on the spot to coordinate all relief and rescue operations.
Here are the lesser known facts about the Ghazipur landfill:
- This is not a hill, its a pile of garbage.
- The Ghazipur landfill in east corporation is the oldest functional landfill in the city.
- It overshot its limit of 15 feet in 2002, but dumping continues here.
- About 2200-2500 metric tonnes of waste is dumped here every day.
- Around 200 metres from landfill is the Ghazipur slum.
- The residents claim that proximity to the landfill leads to various problems.
- It is home about 1500 families of rag-pickers.
- The landfill often catches fire due to release of methane.
- MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) burning garbage for electricity.
- Due to low quality waste, little energy is generated.
- According to experts, due to lack of leachate treatment facility by products released during decomposition seep in to the ground water and pollute it.
- There are more of such garbage hillocks in Delhi.