Green city: North MCD to recycle plastic and horticulture waste

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (North MCD) has collaborated with a private partner, which will help it generate energy and make useful products from green and plastic wastes in parks. With this, the civic body aims to recycle around 120 metric tonnes of green/ plastic waste generated daily from the parks under its jurisdiction.

“Over 100 metric tonnes of plastic waste, generated from areas under the North MCD, is dumped at Bhalswa landfill and other landfill sites daily. Another 20 metric tonnes of horticulture waste also ends at the already overflowing landfill. If Corporation develops an efficient system, it will prove to be a milestone in garbage recycling and an efficient waste-management system,” said Pravesh Wahi, chairman of North MCD Standing Committee.

“Though we have given administrative approval, it will take a few months for the project to materialise. Initially, the plan was to reduce the amount of waste being dumped at the landfill. The Bhalswa landfill is already overburdened. The garbage often catches fire due to methane gas production. We aim to prevent horticulture and plastic waste from reaching the landfill site,” he said.

Senior North MCD officials said under the plan, the civic body would be outsourcing the collection, segregation, transportation and processing or recycling of horticulture and plastic waste. 

The ambitious plan will first be rolled out in Sadar Paharganj, Karol Bagh and Narela zones. Horticulture waste of 10 metric tonnes per day produced in the remaining zones — Civil Lines and Rohini — is already collected and processed at the integrated waste disposal and processing facility at Narela-Bawana.

As the proposal was passed by the Standing Committee last week, we have initiated the process to hire a consultant to help with the project. 

“A feasibility study for assessing suitable technologies, a report on how to characterise the waste collected so far, a detailed project report on how to process or recycle waste, the project design and possible revenue options would be part of the first phase of the plan,” said an official.