Okhla Landfill Cleanup Deadline Extended to December 2026 After Repeated Delays
The deadline to completely clear the legacy and fresh waste at the Okhla landfill in New Delhi has been extended to December 2026. Mayor Parvesh Wahi announced the new timeline following a joint inspection of the site with the municipal commissioner on Wednesday, marking the latest in a series of delays for the cleanup project.
During the inspection, Mayor Wahi stated that the biomining project is progressing at a steady pace, with approximately 23 acres—about half of the landfill's total area—reclaimed so far. He added that the remaining legacy waste accumulated at the site is expected to be disposed of within approximately one week. However, fresh waste arriving at the Okhla landfill will continue to be processed and disposed of up until the new December 2026 deadline.
The biomining project originally began on July 17, 2019, under orders from the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The NGT had directed all civic bodies to start biomining and bioremediation to reclaim landfill sites within one year, with substantial progress expected within six months. Biomining involves using cylindrical rotating sieve machines, known as trommels, to separate various components of legacy waste, such as plastic, paper, cloth, sand, and bricks.
Dumping at the 62-acre Okhla landfill first began in 1996. By 2019, the accumulated waste had reached a height of 60 meters. Although the NGT initially ordered the site to be cleared within a year, the deadline has been repeatedly revised. It was first pushed to March 2023, then to December 2024, and later to July 2026 and October 2026, before this latest extension to December 2026.
According to a senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) official, the ongoing dumping of fresh waste at the site has slowed down overall progress. The official also noted that biomining work slows down significantly during the monsoon season.
As of June 8, the MCD logged 1.23 million tonnes of garbage at the Okhla landfill. Across Delhi's three main landfill sites—Okhla, Bhalswa, and Ghazipur—there was a combined total of 9.97 million tonnes of garbage, with 73 acres reclaimed across all three sites so far.
