Delhi reclaims ‘100 Acres’ from legacy waste at major landfill sites

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has informed that around 100 acres of land have been reclaimed so far at the Capital’s three major landfill sites — Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur. The reclamation is seen as part of efforts to scientifically address the city’s legacy waste problem.

Rekha Gupta said the government has processed nearly 70 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste at the Okhla landfill, reclaiming around 35 acres of land. At Bhalswa, approximately 102 lakh metric tonnes of waste have been processed and 45 acres reclaimed. At Ghazipur, another 44 lakh metric tonnes have been processed, resulting in the recovery of around 20 acres.

She said the clearance of legacy waste had also improved living conditions for residents in areas surrounding the landfill sites, while property values in nearby localities had increased.

Bolstering Reuse

According to the Chief Minister, the inert material generated during the waste-processing process is being put to productive use, including road construction and filling low-lying areas.

To prevent the accumulation of fresh waste and ensure continuous processing, the Delhi government is also planning to establish four new waste-to-energy plants. The facilities are expected to help process newly generated municipal waste without allowing it to accumulate at landfill sites.

The Okhla and Bhalswa landfill sites have been given a December 2026 deadline for complete clearance. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has set a target of clearing the Ghazipur landfill by the end of 2027.

At the beginning of this year, Rekha Gupta pledged that the national capital’s long-standing landfill sites will be flattened in 2026. This was preceded by MCD’s Rs 361-crore plan to set-up four new processing facilities in Bhalswa (1,800 tonnes per day), Singhola (700 tonnes), Okhla (1,400 tonnes), and Narela-Bawana (1,200 tonnes).