45 lakh tonne waste at Bhalswa dump to be reduced by May, says Arvind Kejriwal
New Delhi, September 30
As Delhi faces an uphill task of solid waste disposal, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said 45 lakh tonne waste will be removed from Bhalswa landfill site by May 2024.
“With the speed at which garbage removal is underway at Bhalswa, it is expected that by May 15, 2024, instead of the designated target of 30 lakh tonne, 45 lakh tonne of garbage will be reduced from here,” Kejriwal said after visiting the site along with Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Mayor Shelly Oberoi.
Delhi will be freed from garbage mountains way ahead of the set deadline, Oberoi said. The MCD has undertaken the task of removing garbage from landfill sites and the work to clear the Bhalswa landfill site began in November last year.
The Chief Minister said, “The work was being done faster than the set target. The deadline for removing 14 lakh tonne of garbage from the site was September 30. However, the agency engaged for the purpose has removed 18 lakh tonne till now.”
Approximately 60 to 65 lakh tonne of garbage was dumped at the site and the site additionally received about 2,000 tonne of new garbage daily, he said.
After the removal of 45 lakh tonne of garbage, another agency will be hired to clear the remaining garbage, Kejriwal said adding that the hiring process has faced delays due to a legal process in the Supreme Court as tender could not be passed without the recommendation of the MCD Standing Committee.
The CM highlighted that once this significant amount of garbage was removed from the site the vacant land could be used for various purposes. Kejriwal said he would be visiting other sites next week to assess the progress.
