Delhi Reclaims 100 Acres as 2.16 Crore Tonnes of Landfill Waste Processed

Around 2.16 crore metric tonnes of legacy waste has been processed across Delhi's three landfill sites at Bhalswa, Okhla, and Ghazipur, resulting in the reclamation of 100 acres of land, according to the Delhi government.

The clean-up operations have recovered significant ground across all three locations. Bhalswa recorded the largest volume, with roughly 1.02 crore tonnes of waste processed and 45 acres reclaimed. At Okhla, 70 lakh tonnes of legacy waste have been cleared to recover 35 acres, while Ghazipur accounted for 44 lakh tonnes processed and 20 acres reclaimed.

The 100 acres recovered across the three sites is roughly equivalent to the area of nearly 60 international football fields. The volume of waste processed at Bhalswa alone amounts to nearly 15 lakh truckloads of garbage.

The Delhi government has set December this year as the deadline for flattening the Bhalswa landfill and clearing the Okhla site. Ghazipur has been given a completion deadline of December 2027.

While biomining of legacy waste continues, daily fresh waste generation remains an ongoing operational challenge. To expand processing infrastructure, the government has completed preparations for four new waste-to-energy plants. Additionally, at Ghazipur, material recovered through processing is currently being repurposed for road bases and filling low-lying areas.

"The Delhi government is focused on the scientific management of all kinds of waste," Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said.