The Hindu : MCD finally finds sanitary landfill site

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 18, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

MCD finally finds sanitary landfill site

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JAN. 17. With land for dumping waste fast becoming scarce, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has finally managed to identify a landfill site for the Capital. Though the Central Government deadline for setting up waste processing and disposal facilities for municipal solid waste expired two weeks ago, it seems the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has now woken up to the impending menace.

Cleared by the MCD, the application for an engineered sanitary landfill site near Badarpur has been sent about a week ago to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the authorisation agency. Once DPCC obtains the green signal from the Central Ground Water Board, the Airports Authority of India and the Town and City Planning Office - the three bodies that need to be consulted - it would grant authorisation for developing the site.

Currently, two of the three existing landfill sites are almost exhausted and the more than 6000 per day tonnes of waste generated by the city are a problem for the Capital's municipal bodies.

An 18-month project, the identified site - 26 acres with a depth of 30 meters - designed as an "engineered'' sanitary landfill site, has been planned as outlined in the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000. The design proposal includes lining the sides and bottom of the landfill so as to prevent seepage. It would also have a gas management and leacheate system. Also, the plans include the development of the site into a lush green cover.

"Delhi faces an acute scarcity of land and for the past few years, we have been trying to identify a landfill site outside Delhi. However, we haven't been able to do that. None of the other States were willing to give a landfill site for Delhi or allow the Capital to dump waste in their territory. So we had to look for land in Delhi,'' says the Director-in-Chief (CSE), MCD, R. Dass.

Meanwhile, as per the MSW Rules, segregation of waste at source is also on the agenda of the MCD. Though the Delhi High Court deadline for segregation of municipal waste passed two weeks ago, for all practical purposes, there has been practically no movement on that front. "We are aiming for a target of 15 to 20 per cent for this year. What we need is participation from residents as they have to segregate the waste. We have also reached out to the Resident Welfare Associations so as to spread awareness. We have even designed plastic bags which would make its convenient,'' said Mr. Dass.

At the moment, a number of technologies are also being explored for re-use of municipal waste. Compost manufacturing plant and fuel palletisation technologies are among those under discussion though it has been argued that the low calorific value of waste in India is not suited for the latter. "The United Nations Operation and Services is working with us for studying various technologies for waste processing. They will recommend the appropriate technology for this waste,'' said Mr. Dass.

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