Bamboo plantation drive at Bhalswa landfill site.
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday said that the Bhalswa landfill in north-west Delhi will be cleared by March 2026.
The Minister added that no new landfill will be created in the future. There are two more landfills in the city – one at Ghazipur in east Delhi and the other at Okhla in south Delhi.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been cornering the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for failing to clear the landfills by December 2024 as promised during the 2022 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election. AAP, which governs the civic body, has cited the non-formation of the MCD Standing Committee as a reason for not meeting the deadline.
Mr. Sirsa said that 35% of waste has already been cleared at Bhalswa and credited Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena for it. According to the Minister, the height of the garbage mountain at Bhalswa has been reduced from 60 to 53 metres.
“By December 2025, the landfill will be reduced to a point that it will no longer be visible from a distance,” he added.
Mr. Sirsa said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had emphasised the importance of keeping Delhi clean by stopping waste accumulation at landfill sites and ensuring efficient waste recycling.
Plantation drive
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Mr. Saxena launched a bamboo plantation drive at Bhalswa. The L-G said that of the 70 acres that were covered by the landfill, 25 acres of land had been reclaimed. “Today, we planted 2,000 bamboo saplings on five acres of the reclaimed land,” Mr. Saxena said.
The L-G added that bamboo was chosen for the plantation drive as it releases 30% more oxygen and requires less water to grow.
Attacking the previous AAP government, the Chief Minister said the party made tall claims of clearing the landfills but did nothing on the ground. “The L-G has played a crucial role in ensuring Delhi’s transformation. His leadership has been like a shield, protecting the city and guiding its development,” Ms. Gupta said.
“In a year, this place will be completely transformed into a green land. Our mission is to clean and beautify Delhi, and with a double-engine government, we will achieve this goal at double speed,” she added.
There was no reaction from AAP over the BJP’s allegations.
Published – March 05, 2025 01:25 am IST
