Union housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal on Thursday conducted a thorough review of the ongoing legacy waste remediation work at the Bhalswa landfill site in New Delhi. During his inspection, he directed officials to complete the clearance of the dumpsite within the stipulated timeline while ensuring that no fresh legacy waste is created in the future.
Detailed Inspection of Biomining Activities
The minister conducted a detailed review of the biomining and bio-remediation activities being carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). He also assessed environmental safeguards, fire prevention measures, leachate management systems, and the future roadmap for the site's complete remediation. Officials informed him that the Bhalswa dumpsite, spread across nearly 70 acres, contained approximately 73 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste as of June 2022. Since then, biomining operations have been underway in mission mode, with nearly 15,000 metric tonnes of waste being processed daily.
Progress and Land Reclamation
As of May 26, about 23.1 lakh metric tonnes of waste, including both legacy and fresh waste, remain to be processed. Due to sustained biomining and remediation efforts, nearly 43 acres of land have already been reclaimed from the landfill site, according to an official statement. Manohar Lal noted that the process of legacy waste disposal at Bhalswa has been accelerated through scientific and modern technologies while ensuring compliance with environmental standards. He emphasized that continuous efforts are also being made to improve cleanliness, health, safety, and civic amenities in nearby areas.
Focus on Waste Processing and Land Use
The minister stressed that fresh waste generated daily should be processed immediately to prevent further accumulation. He also directed authorities to ensure that the reclaimed land is utilized judiciously for public use and community welfare after remediation is completed. The Union minister has adopted the dumpsite as part of the Dumpsite Remediation and Action Plan (DRAP), a nationwide mission launched under Swachh Bharat Mission-U 2.0 for scientific remediation of major legacy dumpsites across the country, with the target of achieving 'Lakshya Zero Dumpsites'. The minister had formally announced the adoption of the Bhalswa dumpsite in September 2025 under the 'Swachhata Hi Seva 2025' campaign. Additionally, the inspection was attended by MCD commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar.
