India’s ‘garbage mountain’ going to grow taller than Taj Mahal
The largest pile of trash in India is fast mounting to the height of Taj Mahal (73 meter) in Ghaziabad, a suburban area of India’s capital city, New Delhi. Every year the heap rises by 10 meters. Environmentalists say that garbage is polluting underground water, air and land which was consequently badly affecting health of local people.
Area of the ‘mountain of garbage’ is equal to 40 football grounds. According to an estimate, the rubbish site, nicknamed by locals as ‘Mount Everest’, would grow as high as Taj Mahal by 2020. The pile of fetid matter is already more than 65 metres (213 feet) tall as detritus of Ghazipur and surrounding areas keeps coming every day in hundreds of trucks.
The heap of garbage had filled capacity of the landfill site in 2002 but its alternative has not been found as yet. Up to 2,000 tons litter is dumped here everyday. The garbage heap emits methane gas which could ignite fire and spread environmental pollution.
Talking to BBC, Dr Kumad Gupta said this could cause lethal diseases and if people inhale the poisonous gases then they can have cancer in the long run.
The residents around are increasingly becoming ill and many of them have left the area.
The towering landfill site has grown so high that the Supreme Court of India has said that red lights would have to be put on its top to warn airplanes.
Hawks and other birds hover around the landmark and stray dogs, cows, rats and scavengers keep drifting all the day.
Annually, 62 million tons of waste is generated in entire India. The United Nations has declared New Delhi as the world’s most polluted capital city.
