New Delhi, Oct 27 Biomining at Delhi’s Bhalswa and Okhla landfills is likely to resume this week after a halt of nearly three weeks, with the change of concessionaire threatening to delay the flattening of the two dumpsites as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has already missed its deadlines several times, officials said on Tuesday.
According to officials, the work stopped in the first week of October after the existing concessionaire ceased operations, while the civic body completed the process of appointing a new agency for the third phase of biomining.
The incoming concessionaire is expected to begin work as the machinery is being installed, which is required to process the accumulated waste, officials said.
The transition has left the two sites without biomining operations for weeks, adding to the pressure on the MCD to meet its latest deadline of January 31, 2027, for flattening the dumpsites.
The civic body had sought the existing agency’s continued involvement until the new arrangement became operational. However, differences in the rates offered by the two concessionaires complicated the transition, as the MCD opted for the lower-cost bid for the next phase.
Under the previous arrangement, the agency was tasked with processing around 20 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste at Okhla and 30 lakh MT at Bhalswa within 18 months. After completing the assigned work, it was given additional targets of 10 lakh MT at Okhla and 15 lakh MT at Bhalswa, which were also completed.
The new concessionaire is expected to take forward the remaining work at both sites. However, the interruption, coupled with delays caused by weather conditions and change in concessionaires, has added to the uncertainty over whether the latest deadline can be met.
Okhla is also likely to miss its December 2026 deadline for flattening the landfill, given the remaining waste and the time needed to resume operations after the change of agency, officials said.
According to MCD estimates, around 2.2 crore MT of legacy waste had been processed across the three landfills – Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur – by mid-September.
Bhalswa accounted for roughly 1.03 crore MT of the processed waste, followed by Okhla at around 72 lakh MT and Ghazipur at nearly 45 lakh MT.
Despite the progress, approximately 1.02 crore MT of legacy waste remained at the three sites. Ghazipur accounted for the largest share, at nearly 67 lakh MT, while around 20 lakh MT remained at Bhalswa and 16 lakh MT at Okhla.
Officials mentioned the remediation work has helped reclaim nearly 100 acres across the three sites, including about 45 acres at Bhalswa, 35 acres at Okhla and 20 acres at Ghazipur. The target for flattening the Ghazipur landfill is December 2027.
The task is further complicated by the continued arrival of fresh waste, with the three landfills together receiving an estimated 4,000 MT on a daily basis.
To reduce the burden on the dumpsites, the MCD has awarded tenders for waste-processing plants at five locations, with a combined capacity of around 5,900 MT per day. The facilities are expected to become operational by the end of November.
(PTI News)
