Delhiites will get rid of all 3 landfill sites soon. Since the AAP government came to power in the MCD, there has been significant progress in the work of eliminating garbage from landfill sites, and trash is being removed at a faster pace than the set target. On Saturday, CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal visited the Bhalswa landfill site to assess the progress. During this visit, the CM found that garbage was being removed from the Bhalswa landfill site faster than the set target.
The Chief Minister said, “we had promised the people of Delhi that we would remove the garbage hills in Delhi. We are working day and night on this task. The target was set to remove 14 lakh tonnes of garbage from the Bhalswa landfill site by September 30th. It is a matter of joy that the agency has already removed more than 18 lakh tonnes of garbage from the site. 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 tonnes, 45 lakh tonnes of garbage will be reduced from here.”
On this occasion, MCD Mayor Dr. Shelly Oberoi, MCD in-charge and MLA Durgesh Pathak, Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal, and MCD Leader of the House Mukesh Goel, along with senior officers of the MCD, were present.
During his visit to the Bhalswa landfill site, CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal stated that the work of cleaning garbage from the Bhalswa landfill site began in November last year. The goal was to remove approximately 30 lakh tonnes of trash from the Bhalswa landfill site within the next 18 months. By September 30, 2023, the target was to remove around 14 lakh tonnes of garbage. I am delighted to report that the work of clearing trash is progressing much faster than the set target. Not only has the goal of removing 14 lakh tonnes of garbage by September been achieved, but more garbage has been cleared than the target specified. By September, the Bhalswa landfill site had cleared 18 lakh tonnes of garbage instead of the designated 14 lakh tonnes.
The Chief Minister mentioned that the agency responsible for garbage removal has been given a target to remove 30 lakh tonnes of garbage by May 15, 2024. The pace at which the agency is working is expected to result in the removal of 45 lakh tonnes of garbage by May 15, 2024, instead of the initially set 30 lakh tonnes. It is reported that approximately 60 to 65 lakh tonnes of garbage are at the Bhalswa landfill site. In addition to this, the site receives about 2,000 tonnes of new garbage daily. The process of hiring another agency is underway so that both agencies can work together to completely clear the Bhalswa landfill site.
CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal further explained that when the current agency clears 45 lakh tonnes of garbage by May 15 next year, approximately 35 acres of land here will be vacant. Once all the garbage is cleared, there will be a significant amount of available land. People coming to Delhi from Punjab and Haryana via the road next to the Bhalswa landfill site used to be greeted by the sight of a mountain of garbage. When this garbage mountain is cleared, this land can be used in various ways. The agency and engineers from the MCD deserve accolades for their work in removing garbage at a pace exceeding the set target.
The Chief Minister continued, “After removing 45 lakh tonnes of garbage by May 15, 2024, a second agency is being hired to handle the remaining garbage. The process for this is nearly complete. Currently, there is no standing committee in the MCD. We are waiting for the Supreme Court’s order regarding this. Once the Supreme Court’s order is received, elections for the standing committee will be held. Tenders cannot be issued without the recommendation of the standing committee, so this is stuck in a legal process. Efforts are being made to find a solution to this. The total area of the Bhalswa landfill site is 72 acres. After removing 45 tonnes of garbage, approximately 35 acres of land will be vacant.”
Updating on the progress of clearance of the Bhalswa landfill site, CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal shared a short clip on his ‘X'(previously Twitter) account. He tweeted, “We had promised the people of Delhi that we would remove the mountains of garbage present in Delhi. We are engaged in this work day and night. Today I personally visited the Bhalswa Landfill site and I am happy to report that the work is progressing faster than the target.
“As per the target, we had to remove 14 lakh tonnes of garbage from here to date, till now we have removed 18 lakh tonnes of garbage. According to the target, we have to remove 30 lakh tonnes of garbage by May 2024, whereas by then we will remove 45 lakh tonnes of garbage. With its removal, 35 acres of land will become free. But the total here is 65 lakh tonnes of garbage. After a few days, they are also bringing another agency for this work. Work is also going on at a fast pace on other landfill sites in Delhi. I will visit there next week.”
Delhi will be freed from garbage mountains way ahead of the set deadline – Dr. Shelly Oberoi
Meanwhile, Delhi’s Mayor, Dr. Shelly Oberoi, stated that under the leadership of CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal, the removal of garbage mountains is progressing rapidly. Delhi will soon be free of garbage mountains. The process of appointing an additional agency for this is in its final stages. Delhi will be freed from garbage mountains ahead of schedule. She mentioned that since CM Arvind Kejriwal’s last inspection, the removal of garbage from the Bhalswa landfill site has accelerated significantly. The Bhalswa landfill site now appears quite empty. The dream of making Delhi garbage-free will soon become a reality.
