DNA Special: How Delhi's 'trash towers' have contaminated groundwater beyond hazardous levels?

The three garbage mountains in the national capital have turned into the main main agenda for the upcoming MCD elections, where the AAP and BJP are involved in a prestige battle. While parties are busy juicing out electoral mileage out of the issue, the impact these trash towers are causing on Delhi’s groundwater is beyond imagination. 

The Ghazipur garbage mountain is Asia’s biggest landfill site, and very close it is situated the Ghazipur Dairy. The foul odour in the area makes it diffucult to even stand for a minute, and the groundwater in the area has been contaminated to hazardous levels. 

People in Ghazipur and nearby areas are dependent on water tankers and most of the families are compelled to buy drinking water. 

According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, i.e. BIS, the amount of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in drinking water should be 500 mg per litre. The amount of TDS in the groundwater of Ghazipur is 5798. 

According to BIS standards, the hardness level in drinking water should not exceed 200 mg per litre. But the hardness level of Ghazipur's ground water is 343 mg per liter.

In areas near Okhla landfill site, the TDS level of water is 3,152, which is six times more than the normal level. The hardness of water is 1,313, which is four times more than the normal.

At the Bhalswa landfill near Delhi-Haryana border, the TDS level stands at 2,570, which is five times higher than the normal level. Th water hardness level in areas near Bhalswa landfill is 747, which is four times higher than the normal level. 

AAP has made it clear that it is going contest the MCD polls with the agenda of clearing the three garbage mountains in the national capital. Last week, Kejriwal announced 10 guarantees for the public, which the party called 'Kejriwal Ki 10 Guarantees'.

Announcing the same, Kejriwal said that the first guarantee is that no new landfill sites will be formed in the city.

"We will clear all the three garbage mountains and will not allow the formation of any new landfill in the city," said Kejriwal, adding that AAP will invite global experts to find a solution to the garbage issue.