New Delhi: Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena on Wednesday (June 28) assured that the three landfill sites in the national capital will be cleared in the “next 18 months” while the Najafgarh drain will be cleaned in the “next few months”. Speaking at an event here on ‘Delhi 2041 – New Master Plan’, LG Saxena cited various initiatives undertaken in the development of Yamuna flood plains, revamping of roads, and removal of garbage dumps in the city, under his tenure in the last year.
Also Read: Lt Governor VK Saxena Inspects Waste Disposal Work At Landfill Sites In Delhi
He called upon Delhi citizens to participate in the beautification and grooming of the city.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) issued a statement after the event which was also attended by Subhasish Panda, vice chairman of the authority, who said the Master Plan of Delhi 2041 (MPD-2041) would ensure sustainable development and will be notified soon.
Highlighting the cleanliness work done in the national capital at an “unprecedented pace”, LG Saxena assured that the three “garbage mountains” will be cleared in the next 18 months, and the Najafgarh Drain, spread over 57 km, will also be completely cleaned very soon.
LG was quoted as saying in the statement,
Out of the 57-km stretch of the Najafgarh Drain, 30 km of it has been cleaned and the rest will be cleaned in the next few months.
Also Read: Solid Waste Management In India: The Challenge Of Growing Mountains Of Garbage – Landfills
The interactive session on MPD-2041 was organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI).
Flattening of garbage dumps at Okhla, Bhalswa, and Ghazipur was being done on a “war footing”, the PHDCCI said in another statement.
He emphasised that coordination among departments can help achieve the targets, saying that public participation can accomplish a lot of things.
The LG said inclusivity lay at the heart of the Master Plan.
Drafting of the Master Plan, which is almost ready, meticulously took into account the importance of providing equal opportunities to all segments of society, by ensuring equitable access to resources, services, and economic opportunities, LG Saxena said.
The plan aims to foster inclusive growth and prosperity. Entrepreneurship, innovation, and job creation will be nurtured, contributing to the overall economic development of the city, the LG added.
He also said that like never before, this year thousands of residents of Delhi performed yoga at eight locations on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, along the cleaned stretch of the Najafgarh Drain.
The LG asked citizens of Delhi to remain vigilant and raise their voices for better roads, other basic facilities, and also against encroachment. He said,
People have the right to ask for a clean environment.
Also Read: Landfills: A Big Burden On Delhi’s Chest
On an emotional note, he stressed that it is our duty to bring back the lost glory of the Yamuna river for future generations. He said in the endeavour, an 11 km patch of Yamuna from Signature Bridge to the ITO Barrage has been cleaned.
Talking about employment generation in the national capital, he said in the last year, 17,000 permanent jobs have been provided and 26,000 people have been trained in skill development.
The draft Master Plan of Delhi-2041 envisions the identification and preparation of conservation and revitalisation management plans for cultural precincts, adaptive reuse of old buildings, and constitution of heritage cells, a move that seeks to promote holistic development in the historic city.
DDA approved the draft MPD-2041 in March 2023.
Preservation of Delhi’s rich heritage, revitalising urban areas, through greenfield as well as brownfield development projects, and connectivity and mobility that essentially take into consideration environmental sustainability, are other equally prominent aspects of the MPD-2041, the LG said.
Also Read: Aiming To Remove 50 Lakh MT Garbage From Bhalswa Landfill By March Next Year: CM Arvind Kejriwal
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
