Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal issued strict instructions to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to expedite the progress of clearing landfills in the city. In a meeting held today, the CM reviewed the status of the Okhla, Bhalswa, and Ghazipur landfills and expressed concern over the slow pace of progress. On the CM’s directions, MCD will construct a new Construction & Demolition Waste plant on an emergency basis. The CM has also directed MCD officials to form an action plan on landfill management within 15 days.
Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal chaired a high-level meeting to review MCD’s waste management system, on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Delhi PWD Minister Ms Atishi, Urban Development Minister Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj, MCD Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi, MCD Dy Mayor Shri Aaley Mohd Iqbal, MCD Leader of the House Shri Mukesh Goyal, MCD Commissioner and other concerned officials.
During the meeting, the officials apprised the CM about the real-time status of all three landfills. While the garbage processing target for the Okhla Landfill was to be increased to 10,000 MT per day by April 1, the MCD has fallen short of it due to various factors. The officials said that due to the unseasonal rain spells and the delay in operationalization of the construction and demolition (C&D) waste plant, the MCD has failed to meet its target at Okhla and is processing 5000-6000 MT of waste. The CM also noted that about 1,000 MT of construction waste reaches the landfill every day, however, it has no capacity to treat them.
“This is not the time to allow any delays. We need to plug all loopholes and immediately bring progress back on track,” said CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal. He further directed MCD officials to start the construction and demolition (C&D) waste plant at the Okhla Sanitary Landfill (SLF) by April 15. The C&D waste plant is expected to significantly reduce the amount of construction and demolition waste that ends up in landfills.
While reviewing the situation of the Bhalswa Landfill, the CM was apprised that while there has been a slight delay in reaching the target of 10,000 MT there too, owing to the rains. However, the MCD officials expressed confidence in expediting the progress, and assured the CM that they will meet the target in a few days. The officials said that they will reach the 8,500 MT by tomorrow and further expedite the progress this week itself.
The CM further expressed his concern at the situation of the Ghazipur Landfill, noting several delays at the site. The officials informed him that the agency deployed on the site has been issued a show cause notice due to the shortcomings on its end. The CM directed the officials to terminate the agency by the end of this month if it does not bring the progress back on track and issue a fresh tender for the site.
Directing the officials to come up with a plan for the three landfills within 15 days, the CM said, “there is no need to create more legacy waste at any of the landfills. MCD needs to give immediate attention to its landfills.”
Further asking the MCD to collaborate with the Delhi Jal Board for waste management, the CM said, “if the MCD is unable to handle wet-waste on its own, it can take the help of Delhi Jal Board’s biodigester system. Whatever wet-waste is collected by the MCD can be sent to DJB for better processing.”
CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal has been vocal about his commitment to making Delhi a clean and green city. “I urge all stakeholders to work together to make Delhi a model city for waste management and environmental sustainability,” he said, directing the MCD to construct a new Construction & Demolition Waste plant on an emergency basis to resolve the waste crisis.
The Chief Minister’s instructions come at a crucial time when Delhi is grappling with the issue of overflowing landfills. The timely completion of the C&D waste plant and expedited progress in clearing landfills will go a long way in addressing these challenges and making Delhi a cleaner and healthier city.
