The existing landfill sites in the national capital were operating beyond their saturation point and the city's five municipal bodies were forced to use them at the "risk" of human lives as they have "no other option".
The city produces a staggering 8360 MTD (Metric Tonnes Daily) waste but the existing capacity of its all three landfill sites stands at 4660 MTD, all of which are operating beyond their saturation point, the Economic Survey report by the Delhi government has pointed out.
Bhalswa landfill site was commissioned in the year 1994, Ghazipur in 1984 and Okhla in 1996 and none of them are designed as per the Municipal Solid Waste Rules of 2000.
Moreover, they don't have authorisation from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee but the five civic bodies have informed that they have "no other option" but to use these sites but they are being "continued at the risk of human life", the Survey report said.
The East Delhi Municipal Corporation is in the most precarious state as the Ghazipur landfill site, which looks ominous from a distance due to the sheer magnitude of waste, has to take in 2200 MTD daily, despite exceeding its capacity long back.
About 1300 MTD out of 2200 MTD Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) of EDMC shall be processed in the upcoming Waste to Energy plant at Ghazipur, likely to be commissioned by this year, but there was no proposal for the remaining 900 MTD, it said.
The Delhi High Court had noted last year that while as per the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, the height of landfill sites should not exceed 70-80 feet, they are currently in the range of 150-160 feet.
In case of the North Delhi Municipal corporation, that produces 3100 MTD waste daily, 1150 MTD is sent to Bhalswa landfill site. The Okhla waste to energy plant processes 400 MTD from NDMC while the Bawana waste processing plant has capacity to process 1550 tonnes of MSW.
South Delhi Municipal Corporation produces 2700 MTD daily of which 1000 MTD goes to Bhalswa landfill site, also used by North MCD.
Currently, a 16 MW waste energy plant is operational since 2012. The plant of 12 MW capacity at Ghazipur is going to be made operational soon and the third plant is being set up near Narela-Bawana Road landfill site which will generate 24 MW electricity.
"These three plants will utilise 6250 MT of municipal solid waste in a scientific and environment-friendly manner," the Survey report said. But what is alarming is that waste generation is expected to go up to 15,000 MTD by 2020.
