MCD to retain existing agencies for biomining at all 3 landfills

New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has decided to retain the existing agencies carrying out bio-mining at the Okhla, Ghazipur and Bhalswa landfill sites to ensure the garbage mounds are flattened within the current deadlines. The civic body has set July 2026 as the target for clearing the Okhla site, Dec 2026 for Bhalswa and Dec 2027 for Ghazipur. The decision was taken at a standing committee meeting where members stressed the need to accelerate bio-mining to curb environmental hazards and reclaim land for public use. Officials said the timelines were critical as the three landfills continue to pose severe pollution challenges.
Phase II contracts were awarded in 2024-25 after Phase I was completed, and the second phase is underway at all three sites. Under Phase II, MCD aimed to process 30 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste each at Bhalswa and Ghazipur — extendable by 15 lakh MT each — and 20 lakh MT at Okhla, extendable by 10 lakh MT, within 18 months. At Okhla, where the Phase II deadline is March 31, 26 lakh MT has been remediated so far. Bhalswa has recorded quicker progress, with 34 lakh MT processed ahead of its April deadline. Ghazipur has lagged behind, with 15.8 lakh MT processed till Feb this year against its Sept deadline. The tendering process for Phase III has been put on hold. Standing committee chairperson Satya Sharma said the civic body decided to continue with the existing concessionaires beyond their tenure to avoid delays and possible complications associated with shifting to new agencies. The committee also noted that while administrative approval for Phase III had been granted and technical evaluation of bids was underway, the Centre has notified the Solid Waste Management Rules 2026 — effective April 1 — which mandate environmentally sound management of sanitary landfills and legacy waste. This will require changes to contractual terms. According to the proposal, Phase III bidders were asked to submit plans for full reclamation of landfill areas through bio-mining. However, the term ‘legacy waste' had been used in a broad sense, while fresh waste dumped in the past six months — and waste expected to accumulate over the next two years — needs separate treatment, additional resources and more manpower. Officials said bidders might add additional costs to their financial proposals, as earlier assessments were based on the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016. "We will need to amend the contractual terms before finalising agencies for Phase III. This process will take time," an official said. Officials further noted that in meetings with the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) and the Delhi govt, emphasis was placed on completing bioremediation at the earliest. Apart from landfill remediation, the standing committee cleared the long-pending public-private partnership scheme for park maintenance, enabling RWAs to participate in green-space upkeep with MCD support. To boost revenue, the panel approved a 20-year, 50:50 revenue-sharing agreement with the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited for advertisements at bus queue shelters. The chairperson also directed officials to ensure implementation of budget-announced schemes that do not require tendering, including the "One Road–One Day" sanitation initiative and annual licensing system for weekly markets.