New Delhi: L-G Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Monday called for accelerated bioremediation of the Bhalswa Landfill and adoption of global waste management technologies, while stressing urgent fire-prevention measures ahead of the summer season.
Reviewing progress at the site, the Lieutenant Governor noted significant improvement over the past year in reducing the garbage load but said “much more needs to be done” to achieve visible and lasting outcomes.
Senior officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, including Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar, briefed him on ongoing bio mining operations.
Sandhu inspected tromelling machines engaged in segregating legacy and fresh waste and observed the conversion of municipal waste into refuse-derived fuel (RDF), construction material, and inert matter. He directed the civic body to deploy additional machinery to speed up remediation, particularly in view of the continuous inflow of nearly 4,000 tonnes of fresh waste daily.
Officials said that of the 73 lakh metric tonnes of waste accumulated at the site in November 2022, a substantial portion has been processed through bio mining. However, over 13 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste and fresh waste accumulated since 2025 remain to be addressed.
Referring to Narendra Modi’s 2021 remark describing Delhi’s landfill sites as “mountains of shame”, the Lieutenant Governor said efforts since 2022 had yielded progress but required stronger momentum through international best practices and expert consultation.
He also underlined the need for scientific management of both legacy and fresh waste streams. With rising temperatures, he directed authorities to put in place robust systems to prevent fires at dump sites.
Emphasising citizen participation, Sandhu urged greater involvement of Resident Welfare Associations and Market Traders Associations in segregating waste at source. He also interacted with workers and called for strict enforcement of health and safety safeguards.