Delhi Minister Ashish Sood orders urgent action to tackle Bhalswa landfill pollution

New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI) Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood on Thursday inspected the Bhalswa Landfill Site and directed officials to expedite efforts to eliminate the city's "garbage mountains." Sood also ordered the immediate installation of six anti-smog guns and 12 water sprinklers to tackle rising dust and air pollution in the area.

During his visit, Sood reviewed ongoing biomining, waste processing, and pollution control measures alongside senior officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and other departments.

He assessed the functioning of trommel machines and the arrangements for the scientific processing and disposal of both new and legacy waste.

Sood said the inspection was a follow-up to his previous visit on September 17, when he had issued several directions to curb dust and environmental pollution.

"Approximately 4,000 metric tonnes of fresh waste are dumped at Bhalswa daily. Both new and old waste must be processed scientifically to prevent further pollution," he said.

The minister noted that more than 800 garbage trucks visit the site every day, consuming nearly 7,000 litres of diesel.

According to a statement, the operation of 16 trommel machines also generates heavy dust, aggravating the already poor air quality in surrounding areas such as Badli, Jahangirpuri, Model Town, Shalimar Bagh, and Adarsh Nagar.

To improve the situation, Sood instructed MCD and the concessionaire company to immediately install anti-smog guns and sprinklers. He also directed that Bhalswa be formally declared a "pollution hotspot" to facilitate enhanced monitoring and targeted action.

A drone survey has been ordered to assess the remaining waste and submit a detailed report within 10 days, the statement said.

The Bhalswa landfill, operational since 1994, reached a height of 65 metres in 2019 and had an estimated eight million metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste at that time. As of November 7 this year, 6.882 million MT have been biomined, while around 4.047 million MT remain to be processed.

Sood said that the pace of biomining has accelerated under the current administration, and visible results are expected soon.

He added that an additional 10 acres of land have been earmarked at Bhalswa for wet waste processing, which is expected to begin operations by December 2025.

The minister also called for strict fire prevention measures at the landfill and instructed officials to reduce the height of the garbage mound, enhance processing capacity, and strengthen safeguards against air and odour pollution.

"Delhi's pollution is not limited to city activities alone. Industrial expansion in neighbouring areas like Narela and Kharkhoda has also worsened air quality," he said.

Emphasising the government's commitment to a clean and healthy capital, Sood said that scientific waste management, segregation, and recycling are key to achieving a "landfill-free" Delhi.

"Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, we are committed to freeing the city from garbage mountains and ensuring a cleaner environment for citizens," Sood added. PTI SHB HIG HIG