Union Minister Manohar Lal reviews progress of Bhalswa Dumpsite remediation
New Delhi, May 28
Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, on Thursday visited the Bhalswa Dumpsite to review the ongoing legacy waste remediation work being undertaken by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
This was his second in-person inspection and review of the remediation activities at the site, the release said.
The Bhalswa Dumpsite has been adopted by Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal under the Dumpsite Remediation and Action Plan (DRAP) initiative, a nationwide mission-mode programme launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under Swaccha Bharat Mission-U 2.0 for the remediation of major legacy dumpsites across the country with the target of achieving "Lakshya Zero Dumpsites" through scientific remediation, environmental restoration, and reclamation of valuable urban land.
Manohar Lal formally announced the adoption of the Bhalswa Dumpsite on 15 September 2025 during a press conference in New Delhi, followed by the formal on-site launch and inspection on 17 September 2025 under the "Swachhata Hi Seva 2025" campaign, under which the Bhalswa Dumpsite was taken up for accelerated remediation and transformation.
During today's visit, officials briefed the Minister on the progress of biomining and land reclamation activities at the Bhalswa Dumpsite. The site had approximately 73 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste in June 2022, and since July 2022, biomining operations have been continuously undertaken in mission mode, approximately 15 thousand metric tonnes processed daily.
As on 26 May 2026, resulting in a significant reduction of the balance waste quantity, including both legacy and fresh waste, to approximately 23.17 lakh metric tonnes is remaining waste to be processed. Owing to the sustained biomining and remediation efforts, nearly 43 acres of land has been reclaimed out of the total dumpsite area of about 70 acres, the statement added.
In line with the vision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the objectives of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, scientific methods are being deployed for legacy waste remediation, with parallel efforts to improve environmental safety and civic amenities in the surrounding areas.
During the visit to the Bhalswa landfill site, Minister Manohar Lal conducted a comprehensive review of the ongoing biomining operations, environmental safeguards, fire prevention measures, leachate management systems, and the future roadmap for complete remediation of the dumpsite.
Emphasising the importance of expeditious completion of the project to improve environmental conditions and safeguard public health in the surrounding areas, the Minister directed the concerned authorities to ensure complete remediation of the Bhalswa landfill site by September.
He further instructed that fresh waste generated on a daily basis should be processed immediately to prevent further accumulation and stressed that no new legacy waste should be created.
The Minister also directed that the reclaimed land, following remediation of the landfill, should be utilised judiciously for public use and community welfare.
The visit was attended by Sanjeev Khirwar, Commissioner, MCD; PC Meena, Engineer-in-Chief, MCD; KK Sharma, Chief Engineer, MCD; and Sashi, Deputy Commissioner, MCD, along with other concerned officers of MCD.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see the minister personally inspecting the site. But honestly, we need similar attention to all the other dumpsites across Delhi and NCR. The Okhla and Ghazipur sites are still causing health issues for nearby residents. Better late than never, I suppose! 🙏
The DRAP initiative sounds promising, but I'm cautiously optimistic. We've seen many announcements that fizzle out. The key here is ensuring the biomining operations don't just shift the problem elsewhere. Also, what about the leachate treatment? That groundwater contamination is a silent killer my friend!
Great initiative! But I'm curious about the 'scientific methods' being deployed. Are they using mechanical sieving or manual sorting? Also, 23 lakh metric tonnes still remaining is a huge amount. Hope they have a clear timeline for complete remediation. The reclaimed land should definitely become a park or community center! 🌿
One thing I appreciate is the emphasis on fire prevention measures. These dumpsites catch fire so often during summers, creating toxic smoke. The minister's focus on not creating new legacy waste is also crucial - we need better segregation at source. Every household in Delhi should be composting their wet waste!
Impressive numbers - 73 lakh tonnes reduced to 23 lakh tonnes in about 4 years. But I wonder about the cost-benefit analysis. How much is this biomining costing per tonne? And what happens to the processed material? If it's just going to another landfill, that's not real remediation. Need more transparency on the circular economy aspect. 🤔