Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and presented a detailed progress report on the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's ongoing landfill remediation and cleanliness initiatives, saying two of the capital’s three legacy dump sites are on track to be cleared by the end of this year.
During the meeting, Wahi briefed Shah on the status of biomining and scientific waste processing at the Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfill sites, while the two also discussed Delhi's broader sanitation, solid waste management and environmental goals.
According to the Mayor, around 30 acres of the 62-acre Okhla landfill have already been reclaimed through biomining and waste processing. Nearly 8 million metric tonnes of legacy waste have been scientifically processed, while treatment of about 1.5 million metric tonnes of fresh waste is under way. He said the civic body is aiming to completely eliminate both legacy and fresh waste at the site by December 2026.
At the Bhalswa landfill, nearly 25 acres of the 70-acre site have been reclaimed so far. The Mayor said the landfill is also expected to be cleared by December 2026, after which the reclaimed land will be used for public infrastructure and development projects.
On the Ghazipur landfill, Wahi said the project had faced technical and operational challenges in disposing of inert material. However, he said the process has gathered pace after NTPC began lifting 4 million metric tonnes of inert material, following directions from the Centre. The Ghazipur landfill is now targeted for complete remediation by December 2027.
The Mayor said the MCD is working towards making Delhi landfill-free through scientific waste management, modern technologies and environmentally sustainable practices. He said the civic body's efforts are being carried out with the support of the central government and the Delhi government led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
During the meeting, Shah and the Mayor also discussed Delhi's overall urban development, environmental conservation and measures to strengthen the capital's sanitation system. Wahi thanked the Union Home Minister for his continued support towards the city's waste management and cleanliness initiatives.