Protests against landfill site in Noida gain traction

NOIDA: Despite the Tourism Ministry's assurance to relocate the dumpsite at Noida's Sector-123 and with the National Green Tribunal yet to reach a decision on the site, over hundreds of villagers in neighbouring areas have been staging daily protests near the site from 10 am to 5 pm.

On Sunday, the protest intensified when they were joined by residents of neighbouring high-rise residential societies, such as Ajnara Ambrosia, Homes 121, Gaur Grandeur and Amrapali Platinum Sector-119, Amrapali Zodiac Sector-120 among others.

Senior leaders from various political parties also joined the protests against the proposed waste-to-energy plant to be set up in Sector-123.

"There are hundreds of us who are sitting in daily protests since November 5. We will continue these protests till our demands are addressed. If the waste-to-energy plant will be built right in the middle of a densely populated residential area, it will aggravate air pollution and lead to groundwater contamination," one of the protesting residents said.

Residents are apprehensive of the dumpsite turning into another Ghazipur landfill, the notorious landfill site in Delhi.

They believe that if the landfill site is constructed, it will create a "civic hell of air, water and ground pollution, as there is around the Ghazipur landfill site."