Bhalswa, Okhla landfills to be flattened this year: Delhi Mayor

Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi on Saturday said the MCD aims to clear the Bhalswa and Okhla landfill sites by end of this year, while complete remediation of the Ghazipur landfill will conclude by end of 2027.

In an interview with PTI, the mayor elaborated on flattening Delhi’s garbage mounds, while also outlining plans on sanitation, stray animal management, desilting works and revenue generation.

Wahi said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is working continuously on biomining and remediation of the three legacy waste sites.

“Our target is to finish Bhalswa and Okhla by the end of this year. Work on Ghazipur is also progressing and our target is to complete it by end of 2027,” he said.

He said machinery was being installed for the process and work would be expedited once installation is complete.

On the issue of stray animals, including dogs and monkeys, Wahi said the civic body was acting in accordance with Supreme Court directions and was focusing on sterilisation drives and anti-rabies vaccination.

“Sterilisation is being carried out every day. The situation has already improved a lot and we hope there will be more control in the coming days,” he said.

He said free anti-rabies vaccination was available in several MCD hospitals, citing arrangements at Swami Dayanand Hospital, and added that work on modern dog shelters, including the proposed kennel in Dwarka, was underway.

On monsoon preparedness, the mayor said around 70 per cent desilting of drains under the civic body had been completed.

“Lakhs of tonnes of silt have been removed from drains across Delhi. Modern machines are being used, and the corporation is working hard to completely clean smaller drains,” he said.

Wahi also referred to a cow dung-based biogas plant that is expected to begin operations by July.

“We have issued strict instructions for the plant to start within July. This plant will process 200 tonnes of cow dung to generate gas,” he said, adding that such projects would help reduce waste entering drains and ease desilting efforts.

Addressing concerns over delayed textbook distribution in MCD schools, Wahi said books would reach all students before the summer vacation ends.

“There were some complaints regarding classes 4 and 5 textbooks, which were delayed. Instructions have been issued and books will reach all students before the holidays end,” he said.

He added that uniform assistance funds had already been transferred directly to parents’ accounts.

“In one click, crores have reached the accounts of parents of lakhs of children,” he said.

On sanitation complaints from across the city, Wahi said MCD officials had been instructed to improve conditions for sanitation workers and ensure they had adequate equipment.

“They should have all the required tools and facilities. There is already a lot of improvement from earlier times and further progress will be visible in the coming days,” he said.

Asked about the civic body’s estimated fiscal deficit of around Rs 15,000 crore, Wahi said MCD would focus on increasing revenue through parking fees, house tax and property tax collections, while plugging leakages.

“We will definitely double the revenue of the municipality. Wherever there is leakage, we will eliminate that,” he said.

He also appealed to residents to cooperate by segregating waste and paying taxes regularly.

On his immediate priorities as mayor, Wahi said improving health services, sanitation and cleanliness remain central to his agenda.

“Delhi was once ranked 92nd among cities in terms of cleanliness, and has now risen to 32nd. We want Delhi to enter the top 10 next year,” he said, adding that the corporation was receiving support from Delhi government to achieve the target.

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