Ordered to move out, residents of Bhalswa Dairy colony ask: ‘Why are we being punished?’

During a recent hearing on July 24, the court noted that the authorities’ failure to prevent milch cattle from feeding on garbage from nearby landfills compromises the quality of milk produced. It went on to order government agencies to relocate Bhalswa to Ghogha Dairy Colony — 20 km away — in four weeks.

Residents, however, are unhappy by the turn of events. They are angry that they are being punished for the trash being dumped at the Bhalswa landfill, which came up in 1994.

“Our dairy has been functioning in this area for the last 50 years. Our families were the original residents. We have seen the mountain of garbage grow in size… back then, the land here had no value. Now that it finally has some value, they’re asking us to relocate our dairies,” says Shama Prasad, a dairy farmer.

Vijay Pal, a resident of the area since 1976, asserts that it is the landfill that needs to be relocated, rather than people and cattle. “Officials turn a blind eye to our plight… we are trained in nothing else except taking care of cattle. Where will we go? How will we make a living?” he asks.

Others hit out at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for letting the situation get out of hand. “MCD officials come and check our dairy once every week, so there is little to no scope for violations. Had they been this vigilant in dealing with the heaps of garbage, then we wouldn’t have to suffer… Is it just our waste being dumped at the landfill? Then why should we be punished?” questions Omwati. She says her family has been running a dairy for three generations.

Milk from Bhalswa is supplied to different parts of the city. Shanti, a dairy farmer with five cows in a rented space, says she produces around 20 litres of milk daily. Atam Prakash sells milk in areas including Connaught Place. Ravi Yadav has four buffaloes and a cow producing 10-15 litres of milk each twice a day.

Rahul Yadav, another dairy farmer, with 12 buffaloes and two cows on a 125-yard plot, produces 60-70 litres of milk daily and distributes it in parts of Bhalswa Dairy and Pitampura. Rajesh Yadav supplies 70-80 litres of milk in Rohini, while another dairy farmer, also named Rajesh, supplies 200-250 litres to areas like Rohini, Pitampura, Rani Bagh, and Connaught Place.

“Locals seldom buy our milk; most of it is sold outside the area,” says Rajesh.

In its July order, the High Court ordered the MCD, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, Delhi government, as well as the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to carry out the relocation. “The milk being sold from these animals is unsafe for consumption and despite this issue being highlighted in court in the last several hearings, the statutory authorities concerned are unable to get out of their slumber and take remedial steps in these colonies to ensure that the cattle have a safe space, medical facilities, and grazing ground to stop them from feeding on the garbage of the landfills,” the bench noted.

When The Indian Express climbed atop the landfill on June 27, several cows were seen eating garbage. Civic officials deployed at the site say that cows climb up the landfill daily and they cannot be stopped due to lack of a boundary or fencing.

Residents, however, say these cattle do not belong to them.

“They belong to those farmers who don’t own land, they leave their cows to roam outside and to graze on garbage… then they find them to milk them daily… you can see a visible difference between the cows grazing on garbage outside and the ones inside the cowsheds. We don’t let our cows roam around in the open,” asserts Roshan Lal.

Experts, however, say it’s not just cattle eating trash that’s the problem.

According to environmental expert Himanshu Thakkar, co-coordinator of the South Asia Network of Dams, Rivers, and People (SANDRP), while the landfill poses a risk to both cattle and people, the dairy area is also heavily polluted, with a drain running alongside it.

He says this area used to be lush and green and the drain was once part of a lake that no longer exists. The water’s nitrate levels are high which makes it unhealthy for consumption even to cattle. Further, this makes the milk produced contaminated as the cattle drink, bathe, and defecate in the same water, he adds.

Smriti Sinha, lawyer for petitioner Sunayana Sibal, from People for Animals, says, “The chief secretary and others decided that shifting the landfill would take ages, so it was decided that the dairies needed to be shifted due to their proximity to the site. Various licences, including those given by the MCD and the FSSAI, are required for running the dairies, but none of these dairies have any licences. The animals consume waste because there is no grass to eat.”

So what happens next?

Before the next hearing on August 23, authorities need to draw up a detailed layout plan of the Ghogha Dairy Colony — including the location and earmarked areas for essential facilities such as a biogas plant, grazing area, proper drainage, and a functional veterinary hospital.

On their plan of action, an MCD official said: “We will first start by demolishing the structures that were originally allotted as dairy plots but are now being used for commercial or residential purposes within the next two-three days; notices have been issued regarding this… Thereafter, the other plots will be shifted. Work on relocation to Ghogha Dairy is yet to begin.”