Delhi polls: With elections round the corner, residents of Bhalswa fear another cycle of neglect

Delhi polls: The promises made during the December 2022 MCD elections had rekindled hopes of a better life among the residents of Bhalswa village located on the slopes of a massive mountain of waste in North West district.

Two years have passed since then, but the residents of Bhalswa continue to grapple with worsening living conditions amid rising health concerns.

The three landfill sites in the capital were turned into a key poll issue by both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

But those in Bhalswa rue that they didn’t witness any significant change post the elections as all the promises fell flat.

Highlighting the neglect of the area, Ankit Kumar (22), who recently recovered from tuberculosis, said, “We have been facing this problem for years. Nobody is safe here, not even the animals. The cows have nothing but plastics in their stomachs.” Pointing to the environmental and health risks, Kumar added, “Throughout the year, someone or the other in our family falls sick. Politicians made tall promises during the elections, which they forgot soon after the polls. A water pipeline was installed recently, but that’s the only visible change.” The visuals of Bhalswa speak for themselves — houses lined up on the edge of heaps of waste, children playing on garbage slopes with vultures and hawks circling in the sky above in search of food.

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Though heavy machinery can be seen working at the site, the residents claim it is far from a sustainable cleanup effort.

For 60-year-old Poonam Devi, the landfill is a constant reminder of the authorities’ apathy.

“We haven’t seen any drastic measures being taken after the elections. They show miles of intention, but not an inch of movement,” she said.

Recalling a harrowing incident, she added, “A portion of the garbage mountain collapsed and buried my entire house two years ago.” Echoing similar concerns, Rita (45), a local resident, said her six-day-old granddaughter got stuck when a portion of the garbage mountain collapsed.

“We rescued her ourselves; no one came forward to help. Politicians make tall promises, but nothing changes on the ground. How long will we keep ourselves locked inside our homes? We need to venture out to earn our daily bread,” she said.

The children of Bhalswa village also face a grim reality. With no proper playground in the area, they often play on the dangerous slopes of the landfill.

“We play on the garbage mountain because the park here is also filled with garbage,” said nine-year-old Arhaan, adding, “We keep getting hurt with the bricks and glass dumped here.” Highlighted another risk, 10-year-old Abdul Rahman said, “The park is full of garbage and electric wires. A few of my friends got injured because of the wires. There’s nothing for us here.” Environmentalists have also raised alarm over the situation.

Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmental activist, said, “Living so close to a landfill has dire consequences. The toxic fumes, contaminated water, and unregulated dumping are not just harming the residents, but also the surrounding ecosystem.” As the national capital gears up for the Assembly elections, residents of Balswa remain skeptical about any real change.

“One political party will win the polls, take the throne, and then sit at home,” Rita said, even as the slum dwellers of Bhalswa continue to demand urgent action to address the escalating crises in the area.

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