Delhi govt exploring cow dung-to-energy projects, C&D waste recycling at Okhla

The Delhi government is working on new ways to generate energy, such as using cow dung from dairies and establishing a construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling plant at the Okhla landfill site, an official said on Thursday.

In a recent meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) shared its plans to handle waste more locally and in an eco-friendly manner, an official said.

One significant initiative is the operational biogas plant in Madanpur Khadar, where cow dung from dairies is converted into energy. Additionally, the MCD is constructing specialised drains and settling tanks to prevent cow dung from contaminating water drains. Approximately Rs 15 crore is required to implement this model in other dairy colonies as well, he added.

A 10-tonne-per-day (TPD) biogas plant was installed by dairy owners in Madanpur Khadar, one of the 11 authorised dairies under the MCD’s jurisdiction.

“The corporation is also implementing a pollution control project at Nangli Dairy, which includes the construction of a separate drain and a dung-settling chamber to prevent cow dung from entering the outfall drain. The estimated cost for this pilot project is Rs 1.7 crore, and a proposal for Rs 15 crore has been submitted to replicate the model in other dairy colonies,” the official said.

Another key project is a new construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling plant planned at the Okhla landfill site. This facility aims to process 1,000 tonnes of C&D waste daily, addressing the issue of the approximately 5,500 to 6,000 tonnes of construction waste generated daily in Delhi.

The facility, to be commissioned by December 2026, will be built on 8 acres of reclaimed land made available through biomining. The recycled materials — tiles, bricks, blocks, interlocking pavers, kerbstones, chequered tiles, stone dust, and concrete bricks — will be used in government projects. The MCD has made it mandatory to use these recycled materials in all civic construction works, an official familiar with the initiative said.

Delhi currently has 106 designated C&D waste dumping sites for public use. For large generators (producing over 300 TPD), direct disposal at processing plants is mandatory. Monitoring is being enforced via the MCD 311 app and local junior engineers (JEs) to ensure proper collection and reporting.

Also Read: Tall order: Why Capital’s landfills are only getting bigger

However, meeting utilisation targets set by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) remains a challenge.

In 2024–25, Delhi achieved only 14 per cent (about 2.3 lakh metric tonnes) of its C&D waste product offtake target of 16 lakh MT. For 2025–26, the target was revised to a more realistic 9.85 lakh MT, but only 2.49 per cent of that has been achieved by various departments, so far.

Meanwhile, to prevent waterlogging during monsoons, the MCD is developing a silt disposal site in Shinghola, on land previously filled with garbage.

This 6.61-acre site, cleared of 7.6 lakh MT of legacy waste, is now being used for silt disposal from drains across zones such as Narela, Keshavpuram, Rohini, Karol Bagh, Civil Lines, City SP, Shahdara South, and Shahdara North. This effort aims to streamline monsoon preparedness and prevent the re-choking of drains.