Dry leaves make officials worry

The MCD’s sanitation department has stumbled upon a peculiar problem. Disposing of dry leaves scattered across the city has become a big headache for the department. Neelam Pandey reports.

The MCD’s sanitation department has stumbled upon a peculiar problem. Disposing of dry leaves scattered across the city has become a big headache for the department.

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According to sources, dumping leaves at landfills is a costly exercise. So, the municipal commissioner, KS Mehra, has issued directions to dispose of the dry leaves in compost pits in the civic body’s parks or bury them in ditches. There are 1,500 such compost pits in MCD parks across the city. “Trucks that carry the dry leaves get filled up quickly because they take up a lot of space, though they weigh less. Thus, the cost goes up,” said a senior MCD official.

Most roads in the city are strewn with dried leaves, troubling residents and the MCD, which has the responsibility of keeping them clean.

“The sanitary staff of the MCD was assigned the task of collecting dry leaves from designated sites in each locality. The leaves were then taken to landfill sites in a truck. The higher cost of shifting the dry leaves had become a huge issue,” added the official.

Another problem being faced by the civic agency is that much of the leaves would fall off the trucks while being transported and the sanitation staff had to clear them again.

“The move will not only help to save money but it will also help in improving the fertility of soil in our parks and gardens. The MCD commissioner has given directions to dump collected waste (that is, dried leaves) from the roads in compost pits or ditches in MCD parks. Digging a ditch in the park will be done by the sanitary department, in case compost pits are not available there,” said YS Mann, director of press and information, MCD.