NEW DELHI: Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday inspected ongoing bio-mining operations at the Okhla landfill site, declaring that the city’s towering “garbage mountains” will be completely cleared by 2028.
As part of the government’s renewed solid waste management efforts, over 56 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste have already been processed at the site, officials said. Once standing 60 metres tall, the Okhla landfill’s height has been reduced to 20 metres, with more than 30 of its 62 acres now reclaimed.
“Just like dinosaurs vanished from the earth, these garbage mountains too will disappear from Delhi. This is not magic but the result of relentless effort,” said Sirsa.
The current phase of operations aims to process an additional 30 lakh MT by December 2025, with an internal target set for October. Phase 2 has already processed over 6.5 lakh MT within a few months, reflecting accelerated progress.
Accompanied by Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh and MP Ramveer Singh Bidhuri, the minister took aim at the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, blaming it for Delhi’s deteriorating waste and pollution levels. “We are doing what the previous government of ‘AAPda’ couldn’t do in ten years,” Sirsa said. “They should be renamed the ‘Pollution Party’.”
The bio-remediation process involves segregating waste into recyclables, soil, inert material, and Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF). While RDF is being sent to cement plants and paper mills for energy generation, soil and inert matter are being used for roadwork and land-levelling activities.
Sirsa likened the project to a mission of national importance: “If India can destroy terrorist hideouts across the border, we can surely remove garbage mountains to protect our people’s health.”
Officials said the cleanup will reduce fire hazards, curb groundwater contamination, and improve living conditions for nearby residents. “History is in the making,” the minister added.