MCD launches engineered landfill site for scientific disposal of solid waste

NEW DELHI: Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday inaugurated an engineered landfill site in southeast Delhi's Tehkhand for scientific disposal of solid waste. Spread over 15.47 acres of land, the garbage disposal plant was built for Rs 42.31 crore with assistance from IIT-Delhi. It will help eradicate pollution and ensure cleanliness in the city, an official statement said.

According to the statement, the engineered landfill site will also assist in reducing garbage mountains and facilitate the disposal of ash from waste to energy plants.

"Until now, ash was dumped on these garbage mountains. Approximately 500 tons of ash were dumped daily. But now, the ash generated from the waste to energy plant will be deposited at the engineered landfill site," it said.

The main feature of the site is a 100 KLD leachate treatment plant, which will help in decomposing waste in a new process, the statement said.

Leachate is the liquid that drains from a landfill when rainwater filters through the waste.

Kejriwal described the launch of the engineered landfill site as a significant step towards sustainable waste management and environment conservation.

"Today, along with Delhi LG Vinay Kumar Saxena, we inaugurated the new Engineered Landfill of Municipal Corporation in Okhla Tehkhand. This modern plant will have arrangements to process the ash generated after disposal of garbage, for which 15 acres of land has been developed. We are continuously working to make Delhi free from pollution and clean and we are also getting success," Kejriwal wrote on 'X'.

"Under the Swachh Bharat Mission 1.0 of the Government of India, the construction of this ELFS, built at a cost of Rs 42.31 crore, started on 30.9.2021. The commissioning of this state-of-the-art plant will greatly help in scientific disposal of garbage," Saxena said in a post on 'X'.

According to the statement, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will receive Rs 300 per ton for disposing of the ash. Around 500 tonnes of ash will be deposited at the plant daily, it said.

The bottom of the state-of-the-art engineered landfill site has been constructed with five layers. The depth of the site is 7 metres. It features a special leachate drainage system.

"This ensures that groundwater remains unpolluted from leachate and prevents air pollution as well," the statement said.

The landfill site has a life span of 6.5 years and a total capacity of 9.65 lakh metric tons. It is equipped with a 3.5-metre-high perimeter wall, ensuring containment and security of the waste.

The MCD currently operates three landfill sites in the city, of which the one at Okhla is likely to be cleared by this year. The Bhalaswa site is targeted to be cleared by 2025 and the Ghazipur site by 2026.
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