45 lakh tonne waste at Bhalswa landfill to be reduced by May 2024: Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inspected the Bhalswa landfill site on Saturday and announced plans to process and reduce approximately 45 lakh tonnes of waste from it by May next year.

Speaking to the media at the site, Kejriwal revealed that once this target is achieved, it will result in the reclamation of “35 acres of land,” which can be repurposed for various purposes.

Delhi has three landfill sites, situated in Okhla, Bhalswa, and Ghazipur. Kejriwal stated that the Bhalswa landfill site currently holds around 60-65 lakh tonnes of municipal waste spread over 72 acres. Additionally, apart from the existing waste, the site receives 2,000 tonnes of fresh waste daily.

Initially, the goal was to reduce 14 lakh tonnes of waste from the Bhalswa site. However, the process has been expedited, and the achieved reduction now stands at 18 lakh tonnes, surpassing the original target.

The chief minister emphasised that the aim for the agency handling waste processing at the Bhalswa landfill site is to reduce waste by 30 lakh tonnes by May 15, 2024. Yet, given the pace of work, it is anticipated that approximately 45 lakh tonnes of waste will be processed and reduced by May 15 next year.

To address the remaining waste processing, another agency needs to be hired. Although initial work for this has been completed, the tendering process is stalled due to the need for approval from the standing committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Kejriwal mentioned that efforts are underway to find an alternative solution, as the formation of the MCD panel is contingent on the Supreme Court’s directives.

Additionally, Kejriwal expressed plans to visit the other two landfill sites in Delhi soon. During his visit to the Bhalswa site, he was accompanied by Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal, Leader of House in MCD Mukesh Goyal, and AAP’s MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak. (With inputs from PTI)