‘Odour, disease, black water’: Voters gasp for hope in shadow of Bhalswa landfill

To some it’s just an eyesore. To some a source of earning. But for most of the thousands who live near the trash mountain in northwest Delhi’s Bhalswa Dairy, the landfill is only the primary reason behind serious health problems. 

In March 2023, then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had promised to remove the trash mountain by March 2024. And this election is little more than a reminder of the official apathy they have been subjected to, say locals. 

Voters say the unavailability of potable water and poor sanitation are the primary problems in the area. Samir, a local resident, says families walk around with their “nose pinched to avoid the odour” at times. Sanjit, another local, says he gets “black water” at home.

Poonam, another resident, says politicians come “only to ask for votes”. “We get sick because of the pollution. Some are coughing, some have fever.”

Bhalswa Dairy is part of the Badli assembly constituency, which has been represented by AAP’s Ajesh Yadav since 2015. He is pitched against Congress’s Devender Yadav and BJP’s Deepak Chaudhary this time. 

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