NEW DELHI: The North Municipal Corporation of Delhi (North MCD) has decided to provide ‘inert soil’ free-of-cost to residents who want it to fill low-lying areas or plots. The civic body will allow people to collect the soil, which is produced as a by-product of garbage disposal process at Bhalswa sanitary landfill site. Officials said interested individuals or agencies will have to bear the cost of transportation of waste earth to their place or site.
An official said inert soil is good for filling low lying areas or plots and for developing unkempt land into a park or garden. “I will not recommend this soil to level a plot on which one intends to raise multilevel construction or lay sewer lines because it has decomposing material, though in a very minimal amount. There is always the possibility of subsidence. Generally, inert waste is clean and isn’t chemically or biologically reactive,” said the official, requesting anonymity.
Disposing of the inert soil at the landfills has been a matter of concern for the municipal corporations. However, the offer from the North MCD has elicited good response from public and government agencies like Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). At present, 24 trommel machines are working for biomining of legacy waste at Bhalswa (SLF).
The trommel machine divides garbage into three construction and demolition wastes; plastic and combustible wastes to be used as fuel, enriched soil and inert. Everyday 3,000-4,000 metric tonne (MT) inert soil is produced and the civic body has a stock of two lakh tones, which is available for free.
“Inert is a good option as pieces of plastic or glasses are removed during the processing.
It is dark in colour and can be used to prevent flooding of plots. ‘Good’ earth for filling is a costly affair. The MCD has used inert soil in a school in Mukundpur and to fill low lying areas around Bhalswa. DTC wants to use it for leveling of its land,” said an official. About 92,970 MT inert material from Bhalswa has already been dumped at the Eco Park site in Badarpur and other low lying areas.