Delhi govt offers land to NDMC for waste-to-energy plant

The Delhi government today offered to provide land to the municipal corporation to set up a waste-to-energy plant at the upcoming vegetable mandi at Tikri border in Delhi.

Development Minister Gopal Rai today held a meeting with officials and directed them to seek a written report from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) on the issue.

Till now, all discussions about this project have been done orally, he told reporters.

"The government wants the NDMC to submit in writing if they have a project plan. They have been asked to submit the plan by September 18," he said.

The minister said that the department will then get the feasibility reviewed and take a call accordingly.
 

He said it was the job of the DDA to provide land for projects, but the Delhi government was willing to do so if it was to be used for disposal of garbage.

The Delhi Agriculture Marketing Board (DAMB) owns about 70 acres of land on Tikri border, which it plans to develop into a vegetable mandi. Consultant for the project has already been appointed.

As per the informal discussions between the Delhi government and NDMC officials, the corporation was ready to set up a WTP on the upcoming mandi campus if the government was willing to provide land.

Official said that as per plans, the WTP could be used to process the garbage generated both at the mandi and outside.

Sources said the issue came up for discussion also in the meeting between Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has decided to set up a WTP at the Ghazipur murga mandi in order to process the garbage, which till now is disposed at the Ghazipur landfill that is being shut.

Rai said a tender was floated twice for the project-with capacity to process 10-15 metric tons garbage daily-but it has got delayed as the bid had received a single tender on both occasions.

The minister said that he has directed the officials to study similar projects across the country.