Geography is destiny. It is especially so if it happens to be New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area, the Lutyens’ Delhi. It is the epicenter that guides the spread of seismic waves of policy decisions. The path which this area takes to become a ‘Smart City’ will have lessons for all the cities of country including those whose political geography has not favored them so far.
While talking about smart city, Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Delhi said in the state assembly, “Setting up of waste to energy plants is being promoted by the Government for better disposal of municipal waste.” Such proposals demonstrate that like its predecessors and quite like the central government, Delhi Government too has adopted an improper method for dealing with municipal waste. Such plants are being set in NDMC areas as well.
NDMC must be made to manage its own waste. It cannot be deemed smartness if it is allowed to transfer its waste to poorer localities.