Ignored? 62-metre-high Bhalswa landfill becomes a symbol of neglect

New Delhi: Bhalswa, a neighbourhood in North Delhi, faces a mounting crisis that residents say successive governments have ignored. At the heart of the issue is the 62-metre-high Bhalswa landfill, one of the largest waste sites in the city.

According to the residents of Bhalswa village, the landfill’s height—adjacent to their homes—has increased. A 45-year-old Saira Bano, while speaking to Millennium Post, said, “This waste landfill has grown exponentially in the last two years. The government has intentionally reduced the landfill from the highway side where it is visible to most people, but people do not visit this side, and they have dumped more here.” Millennium Post did reach out to MCD officials for a response but hasn’t received one yet.

The landfill has become a symbol of neglect for the area’s residents. The towering dump threatens public health and continues to disrupt daily life with toxic air, unsanitary conditions, and the constant risk of waste spilling onto homes.

For decades, families in Bhalswa have lived in the shadow of the landfill, enduring environmental and health hazards, yet little has changed. Lutfar Shaikh, a 50-year-old father of four, is among many residents disillusioned by the government’s indifference. Shaikh, who migrated from Haldia, West Bengal, at the age of eight with hopes of escaping poverty, says his dreams have been buried under the landfill’s waste.

“I came to Delhi as a child, full of dreams,” said Shaikh, his voice heavy with frustration. “But now, as a father, my dreams lie buried beneath the mountains of garbage here.”

The problems residents face are not just an inconvenience but a health crisis. According to local reports, the Bhalswa landfill has become increasingly unstable, with waste spilling into homes during heavy rains. “When it rains, the drain water and rainwater mix together, creating the hardest time of the year for us,” Shaikh added, highlighting the compounded dangers of the area’s poor drainage systems.

For years, locals have also struggled with a severe shortage of clean drinking water, another ongoing issue that they say has been ignored by the current AAP-led Delhi government. “The problem of clean drinking water has persisted for years and still does,” Shaikh explained. “The previous government would at least visit us, but the current AAP leader has not even bothered about us. We don’t matter.” Bhalswa Dairy is part of the Badli Assembly constituency, where the AAP’s Ajesh Yadav since 2015 has been the MLA. Yadav will take on Congress’ Devender Yadav and BJP’s Deepak Chaudhary in the upcoming elections.

Local Congress leader Devender Yadav has criticised the AAP government for failing to address the growing crisis. “The garbage from Bhalswa landfill is not only creating a health

hazard but is literally falling onto people’s homes. The AAP government has completely neglected these residents,” Yadav said to the media.

The mounting anger in Bhalswa is palpable, with residents now calling for the closure of the landfill and better living conditions. As the election season nears, residents are adamant that they will not tolerate empty promises or token gestures from political leaders. “We want action—clean drinking water, proper sanitation, and above all, the landfill’s closure,” said Shaikh. “The politicians come and go, but we stay here. We want to know when the government will finally take us seriously. When will we get the respect and dignity we deserve?”

Despite the ongoing pollution, many residents have little choice but to continue working at the landfill, collecting waste to make a living. But Shaikh, like many others, says he cannot let his children inherit the same grim fate. “I have given my entire life to this landfill, but I cannot sacrifice my children’s lives, too,” he said. “I will relocate. Starting over at this age is hard, but I no longer have hope. The landfill took it.”

As election day draws closer, Bhalswa residents are ready to hold their leaders accountable. The landfill is no longer just an environmental concern—it has become a symbol of political neglect. For Lutfar

and his neighbours, the promise of a better life remains elusive, and they are demanding that those in power finally listen and act.