Manohar Lal inspects Bhalswa landfill site; says all waste to be processed by December 2026

Union housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal inspected the Bhalswa landfill site and announced that 9.9 million metric tonnes of legacy waste had been remediated as of July 31, with the remaining legacy waste targeted for clearance by October 15.

The minister said all waste accumulated up to March 2026 is expected to be processed by December 2026, with fresh waste collected after March kept separately.

Biomining operations at the site are being expedited, with MCD officials directed to complete scientific remediation within the prescribed timeframe and prevent further accumulation of fresh waste.

The Bhalswa site contained about 7.3 million metric tonnes of legacy waste in June 2022; nearly 43 acres of the 70-acre site have been reclaimed, with about 2.3 million metric tonnes of waste still pending treatment.

The minister stated that the landfill, operational since 1994, holds approximately 3.2 crore metric tonnes of garbage, and the first phase of clearance will be completed by October, with all waste up to March 31 cleared by December 31, 2026.