Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday inspected the Okhla landfill site and reviewed the progress of legacy waste disposal, available land and the capacity of new waste-processing facilities, stressing the need to prevent fresh waste from turning into new garbage mountains.
During the inspection, Gupta said the government’s focus was not merely on clearing the waste that had accumulated at landfill sites over the years but also on ensuring that fresh waste generated in the city was scientifically processed.
“Goal is not just to clear legacy waste but also scientifically process fresh waste to prevent new garbage mountains from taking shape,” said Gupta. According to the CM’s Office, around 217.17 lakh metric tonnes of waste in total have been disposed of at the Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfill sites over the past 18 months, freeing nearly 100 acres of land.
Gupta reviewed the status of the new processing facilities and directed officials to make the units operational at full capacity at the earliest. She said merely removing waste lying on the surface would not be sufficient and that the waste accumulated underneath also needed to be scientifically processed.
The CM said the government was simultaneously working on increasing waste processing capacity, scientific waste management, waste to resource initiatives and renewable energy projects. She added that with the commissioning of new plants, the pace of scientific processing and disposal of waste would increase further, allowing reclaimed land to be put to effective use.
“The mountains of garbage that have accumulated in Delhi over the years due to prolonged neglect are now being reduced rapidly through the government’s sustained efforts,” said CM Rekha Gupta.
