Rain Slows Crucial Landfill Biomining in Delhi

Monsoon rains have considerably slowed down biomining operations at Delhi's three major landfill sites, jeopardizing the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) objectives for clearing decades-old waste. Daily processing at Okhla landfill has plummeted from an average of 6,000-9,000 metric tonnes per day (TPD) to approximately 650 TPD between August 3 and 11, with new waste arrivals offsetting progress.

Bhalswa landfill experienced a decline to about 1,700 TPD last week, down from its usual 6,000-11,500 TPD, while Ghazipur, the largest site, is processing around 1,400 TPD against a 7,000 TPD goal. These reductions are critical as the MCD aims to clear Okhla and Bhalswa by December.

Biomining, which involves excavating, treating, and separating legacy waste, is hampered by wet conditions caused by heavy rainfall. The wet waste clogs trommels, the rotating drums used for separation, necessitating frequent cleaning and reducing overall efficiency.

Officials acknowledged that contractors are advised to maximize processing before the monsoon. Failure to meet second-phase deadlines will result in penalties. The MCD began biomining in 2019, aiming to reclaim land from these vast garbage mounds, some active since the 1980s.

A new fresh waste processing plant at Okhla, with a 1,400 TPD capacity, is expected to be completed by October to boost biomining efforts. As of June, approximately 100 lakh TPD of legacy waste remained across the three sites, with Ghazipur holding the largest portion.