2 new biomedical waste treatment facilities to be set up soon: Minister

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will establish two new Common Biomedical Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities (CBWTFs) to address rising waste volumes and reduce pressure on existing plants. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to expedite the tender process, setting a three-month deadline for bid evaluation and award of contracts.

The new facilities will serve Region 1 (East, North East, Shahdara) and Region 2 (West, South West, Central). Officials said the decision followed a feasibility study on land availability, technology, logistics, and capacity. The government also plans to phase out the Nilothi plant, which has been operating on repeated extensions, replacing it with more modern infrastructure.

Sirsa said the move was aimed at ensuring “long-term solutions with clear timelines” to improve biomedical waste handling across the city. He added that execution would be closely monitored, with daily dashboards tracking progress on tenders, land readiness, statutory clearances, operator mobilisation, and commissioning.

The tenders will be issued under a Build–Own–Operate model for ten years, with the National Productivity Council (NPC) assisting in technical scrutiny and transparency.

Delhi’s healthcare facilities generate around 40 metric tonnes of biomedical waste every day. At present, the city relies on only two operational plants, a capacity officials said is inadequate compared to neighbouring regions with similar populations but more treatment units.

The new plants are expected to ease logistical bottlenecks, strengthen compliance with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and DPCC norms, and provide “future-ready infrastructure” to safeguard public health and the environment, Sirsa said.