Delhi landfill sites major source of methane emission: Report

The city's landfill sites overflowing with garbage are not only becoming health hazards but also a major source of methane emission known to have a global warming potential.

The city's landfill sites overflowing with garbage are not only becoming health hazards but also a major source of methane emission known to have a global warming potential, a government study says.

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Three major landfill sites -- Bhalswa, Gazipur and Okhla -- are receiving a total 5,400 tonnes per day (tpd) of garbage from all the 12 zones of Delhi including NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board.

The city produces over 6,000 tonnes of solid waste daily. "However, in the absence of lack of any scientific management in place, anaerobic decomposition of the organic content of the waste in them results in landfill gas generation comprising methane, one of the important greenhouse gas (GHG) with a global warming potential," it says.

The report "Inventorisation of GHG: Sources and Sinks in Delhi" prepared by Delhi University on behalf of the state government gives a comprehensive details of carbon footprint of various sectors besides the dumping yards which have exhausted their life span.

Ghazipur landfill site in East Delhi which was commissioned in 1984, receives maximum waste at 2,200 tpd including construction and demolition waste. The waste accumulation has reached a maximum height of about 30.5 metres at a few places and an average height of about 25.5 metres above ground level, the report says. The site which are owned by MCD does not have proper landfill management system expect daily spreading and compunction of waste, it says.