Delhi LG Tackles Landfill Crisis Head-On

Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has mandated the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to confront the persistent challenge of fresh and legacy waste accumulating at landfill sites. This directive followed his inspection of the ongoing bio-mining operations at the Bhalswa landfill.

The Bhalswa landfill, spanning 70 acres, held 7,300,000 metric tonnes of waste as of November 2022. While 4,500,000 MT has undergone bio-mining by December 2024, approximately 3,980,000 MT of new waste has since been deposited, averaging around 4,000 tonnes daily. An additional 1,350,000 MT of legacy waste and 1,400,000 MT of fresh waste require bio-mining.

Biomining, a process mandated by the National Green Tribunal in July 2019, uses trommel machines to separate components of legacy waste. The LG reviewed MCD's progress and highlighted issues across Bhalswa, Ghazipur, and Okhla dumpsites, urging the adoption of emerging global waste management technologies.

Furthermore, Sandhu called for the involvement of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and MTAs to ensure waste segregation at the source. He also stressed the importance of preventive measures against fires at dump sites, especially with the summer season approaching, and ensured health safeguards for on-site workers.