MCD to float fresh tenders to process 1.4 cr MT legacy waste at three landfill sites

New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has decided to float fresh tenders to process more than 1.4 crore metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste at the city’s three landfill sites, with officials saying the civic body is currently achieving a bio-mining efficiency of 20,000-25,000 tonnes per day, excluding rainy days.

The city’s three garbage landfill sites -- Bhalswa, Ghazipur and Okhla -- are undergoing large-scale remediation.

According to officials, a Request for Proposal (RFP) for bio-mining of 40 lakh MT of waste at Bhalswa was issued on August 26. Similar tenders for Okhla (30 lakh MT) and Ghazipur (70 lakh MT) are supposed to be floated this week.

"The fresh tenders are necessary to ensure that the momentum of waste removal is maintained and that Delhi stays on track to eliminate its garbage mountains,” a civic body official told PTI.

These tenders are part of the second phase of integrated bio-mining, which has been underway since 2022.

The landfill remediation drive was formally scaled up in July 2022. Since then, the MCD has consistently increased its output.

In 2022-23, the corporation mined about 40 lakh MT of waste across the three sites. In 2023-24, the figures rose sharply to nearly 65 lakh MT, officials said.

Between April and August 26, 2025, another 32-35 lakh MT of waste has been remediated despite the monsoon slowdown, officials said.

Cumulatively, more than 1.35 crore MT of legacy waste has already been removed since July 2022, with significant portions of land reclaimed for future use, they added.

At Ghazipur -- the largest and oldest dumping site, which held nearly 140 lakh MT at its peak -- about 50 lakh MT of legacy waste has been mined so far, while 70 lakh MT still remains.

The site remains the toughest to reclaim due to its sheer size and mixed waste composition, an official said.

At Bhalswa, of the 80 lakh MT of legacy waste, nearly 40 lakh MT has been bio-mined, while tenders for the balance 40 lakh MT are now underway.

At Okhla, which initially contained 55-60 lakh MT, around 30 lakh MT remains, with tenders expected to be submitted this week.

The sites, after being reclaimed, will be repurposed as public green zones, utility areas and possible renewable energy hubs, based on the Indore and Surat models.

According to officials, the civic body is currently achieving a daily bio-mining efficiency of 20,000-25,000 tonnes, excluding rainy days. PTI NSM APL NSM APL ARI ARI