DELHI: The Ghazipur landfill, often referred to as Delhi’s garbage mountain, spans an area larger than 50 football fields and has grown nearly as tall as the iconic Taj Mahal.
Established in 1984 on the outskirts of Ghazipur, the landfill reached its maximum capacity in 2002 but has continued to expand, now standing at 72 meters (236 feet) high.
Ghazipur is one of the largest landfills in the world, receiving hundreds of tons of waste from Delhi every day. With over 14 million metric tons of waste, it has long posed a serious threat to millions of residents in the city.
The overwhelming stench from the landfill is nearly unbearable, especially during the summer months. Frequent fires break out, blanketing the surrounding areas in thick, toxic smoke, while the steep slopes occasionally collapse, burying people and vehicles.
In September 2017, a massive landslide of more than 50 million tons of garbage buried dozens of people and vehicles. Similarly, in April last year, a major fire at the landfill resulted in thick smoke, causing serious health and respiratory issues in the surrounding areas.
From a distance, the landfill resembles a natural hill, but in reality, it is a massive, foul-smelling heap of human waste.
Nicknamed the “Everest of Trash,” the sheer scale of the landfill is staggering, but the environmental and health hazards it poses cannot be ignored.
Despite local authorities’ promises to mitigate the impact, Delhi continues to generate over 11,000 tons of waste daily, with much of it still being dumped at Ghazipur, India’s garbage mountain.
— Agency
