Fresh dumping at Bhalswa to continue till new waste plant come up: DPCC

A drone survey was carried out at the landfill site in June, 2022, which found the landfill’s area to be 78.47 acres, with a maximum height of 62 metres.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) in a report submitted to the National Green Tribunal has informed the tribunal that dumping of fresh waste will be stopped at the Bhalswa landfill site as soon as a proposed Waste To Energy (WtE) plant at Narela, with a capacity of 3000 Tonnes per day (TPD) becomes operational.

.The DPCC says the waste to energy plant will ensure that garbage is directly sent to this plant and the height of the Bhalswa landfill will begin to come down through trommelling. (HT Photo)

Bids for the plant will be heard on October 14, 2022. The DPCC also says the plant will ensure waste is directly sent to this plant and the height of the landfill will begin to come down through trommelling, with the MCD setting a timeline to completely flatten the landfill by December, 2023.

DPCC, which has responded on behalf of the Delhi government in regards to a petition filed on landfill fires breaking out in Delhi’s landfill sites, also says the number of CCTV cameras at the site has been increased to 31 from 21 earlier, with a dedicated cabin room set up at the site to monitor and ensure no landfill fire incidents take place.

“An Integrated Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) facility at Bawana of capacity 2000 TPD and having Waste to Energy Plant, Compost Plant and Engineered Sanitary Landfill (SLF) is operational. The said facility includes a Waste to Energy (WtE) Plant at Bawana. A new WtE plant of 3000 TPD is proposed at Narela - Bawana for which bid opening is due on October 14, 2022 and as soon as this proposed WtE plant at Narela-Bawana starts to function, fresh MSW and APMC waste will be stopped from dumping at the Bhalswa landfill dumpsite,” says the report, submitted to the NGT on October 10, 2022.

To further monitor landfill fire incidents, the report says patrolling teams have been formed by the MCD, with 30 Civil Defense Volunteers also engaged for the surveillance of the dumpsite. “In addition, beat constables have been deployed by Delhi Police for taking rounds of the dumpsite,” the report says.

DPCC has also informed the NGT that a drone survey was carried out at the landfill site in June, 2022, which found the landfill’s area to be 78.47 acres, with a maximum height of 62 metres.