Delhi removes 2.16 metric tonnes of legacy waste, reclaims 100 acres of land: CM Rekha Gupta

The Delhi government on Sunday said that over 100 acres of land have been reclaimed at the Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfills after 2.16 crore metric tonnes of waste have been removed. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that so far, around 70 lakh metric tonnes of waste has been processed at Okhla, leading to the reclamation of 35 acres of land.

She said that at Bhalswa, the quantity of waste processed is around 102 lakh metric tonnes and 45 acres of land has been reclaimed. The numbers at Ghazipur stand at around 44 lakh metric tonnes of waste and 20 acres of land reclaimed.

This comes in the backdrop of civic authorities in Delhi setting up a timeline to clear legacy waste piled up over decades at landfills in the Capital. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has set a goal of clearing the Okhla and Bhalswa landfills by December this year, and the Ghazipur landfill – the largest in the city – by December next year.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Chief Minister Gupta said that the inert material being recovered after processing the waste is being put to use. "It has been used for filling low-lying areas and preparing the base beneath roads.

This has ensured not only the scientific processing of waste but also the utilisation of material recovered through the process. The government’s working model is not limited to addressing the problem at hand but also involves planning in advance for future requirements," she said.

Biomining involves excavating legacy waste, biologically treating it and separating recyclable and reusable materials, allowing portions of landfill land to be reclaimed. The MCD began biomining in 2019, after directions from the National Green Tribunal.

The march towards the MCD's deadline has been slowed down by heavy rainfall this past month, while fresh waste continues to pile up. According to the civic body’s dashboard, over the last three days of the week, an average of 787 (tonnes per day) TPD of waste was lifted at Bhalswa, 575 TPD at Okhla and 3,382 TPD at Ghazipur.

However, during the same period, an average of 4,243 TPD, 2,115 TPD, and 2,541 TPD were dumped in them respectively. On Sunday, Gupta also said preparations have been completed for setting up four new Waste-to-Energy plants in Delhi.

"Once these plants are ready, Delhi will develop the capacity to process the waste generated every day at the same pace, ensuring that waste does not continue to accumulate and turn into new garbage mountains. The government’s goal is to ensure that as much waste as Delhi generates every day is processed on a daily basis," she said.