Nearly four years after large-scale remediation began at Delhi’s Bhalswa dumpsite, one of the capital’s largest mountains of waste has been reduced significantly, with around 43 acres of land reclaimed and authorities now working towards completing the clean-up by September.
Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday visited the Bhalswa dumpsite to review the progress of the ongoing legacy waste remediation work being carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The visit marked his second on-site inspection since the site was brought under a focused remediation programme last year.
Bhalswa is among the major legacy dumpsites being remediated under the Dumpsite Remediation and Action Plan (DRAP), a mission-mode initiative launched under Swachh Bharat Mission-U 2.0.
The programme aims to scientifically clear decades-old waste, restore the environment and recover urban land locked under landfill sites.
Khattar had announced the adoption of the Bhalswa dumpsite under the initiative in September 2025, following which the site was taken up for accelerated remediation and transformation.
Officials informed the Minister that the dumpsite contained nearly 73 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste in June 2022. Biomining operations have been underway since July that year, with around 15,000 metric tonnes of waste being processed every day.
As of May 26, the remaining waste, including both legacy and fresh waste, stood at about 23.17 lakh metric tonnes.
The sustained remediation effort has led to the recovery of nearly 43 acres from the total dumpsite area of around 70 acres, substantially altering the landscape of a site that for years symbolised Delhi’s mounting waste challenge.
During the inspection, the Minister reviewed biomining operations, environmental safeguards, fire prevention arrangements, leachate management systems and the roadmap for complete remediation. Stressing the need for timely completion of the project, he directed officials to ensure that the Bhalswa landfill is fully remediated by September.
He also instructed authorities to process fresh waste generated each day without delay so that further accumulation is prevented and no new legacy waste is created.
“Reclaimed land, following remediation of the landfill, should be utilized judiciously for public use and community welfare," the Minister said during the review.
Officials said scientific methods are being deployed for the remediation work, alongside measures aimed at improving environmental safety and civic conditions in the surrounding areas.
The review meeting was attended by senior MCD officials, including Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar, Engineer-in-Chief PC Meena, Chief Engineer KK Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Sashi and other officers associated with the project.
With less than one-third of the original waste burden now left to be processed, the coming months are expected to determine whether one of Delhi’s most visible landfill sites can finally be cleared within the timeline set by the Centre.
