Following approval for Okhla landfill, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has authorised the second phase of biomining operations at Bhalswa as well, with work scheduled to commence by mid-December. The contractor must process 30 lakh MT of legacy waste within 18 months at Rs 423 per MT.

The civic body will spend approx. Rs 130 crore on this initiative. Earlier this month, MCD commissioner approved Phase-II of biomining at Okhla. The designated contractor will receive Rs 404 per MT to process 20 lakh tonne of waste, with the project costing roughly Rs 82 crore. The Phase-II biomining projects at three landfills were among four crucial initiatives delayed for over a year due to the absence of a MCD standing committee.

In September, MCD extended the landfill flattening deadline to December 2028, marking the fourth extension. The civic body sought Supreme Court intervention, which authorised the commissioner to approve these significant waste management projects. The four projects encompassed: biomining of legacy waste from Okhla, Ghazipur, and Bhalswa landfills; biomining at Singhola (already initiated); establishing the Narela WTE plant (power tariff rates pending in SC); and selecting a new agency for door-to-door waste collection in the Central zone.

Regarding Ghazipur landfill, MCD had recalled the tender as the current bids received for processing per metric tonne waste was higher than that sanctioned for the remaining two landfills. Currently, 160 lakh MT remains at the three disposal sites, with ongoing waste disposal at Bhalswa and Ghazipur.