In the early hours of Monday, residents of Sushant Lok-1 were thrown into panic as a thick plume of smoke engulfed the area. Massive flames emerged from a heap of horticultural waste in an empty plot within the colony. Despite numerous complaints to the MCG about the lack of a proper waste disposal system, the incident occurred. Residents reported that a significant fire erupted on Rajpath Road around 3:30 am, prompting them to contact the fire department.
A fire engine reached the spot around 4am and doused the flames, however, smoke was still seen coming from the spot for a few hours and another fire brigade arrived around 9am to control the situation.
“We have been complaining about the dumping of green waste in the vacant plot for the last two months, but there has been no action. Had I not woken up on time or there was a slight delay, any major mishap could have happened,” said a resident who had first raised the alarm over the fire.
The lack of a designated channel to tackle horticulture waste has led to repeated incidents of burning, which is not only posing environmental and health hazards but also raising a serious safety concern for residents. “MCG’s sanitation and horticulture departments are not working in tandem to address out concerns,” said resident Sudha Tiwari.
When contacted, Manoj Kumar, executive engineer of MCG (horticulture), said that the municipal corporation regularly collects horticulture waste and disposes it at MCG’s nurseries. “This particular incident has not come to my knowledge. However, we have been regularly collecting horticulture waste and ensuring proper disposal,” he added.