Okhla Landfill – MCD Plans Green Cover on Reclaimed Waste Site
Okhla Landfill – The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is planning to develop green areas across more than 20 acres of reclaimed land at the Okhla landfill, where decades of accumulated garbage is being removed through biomining. The initiative is part of the civic body’s broader plan to restore the site after clearing the long-standing waste mound.
Plantation work planned on recovered landfill land
Officials said trees will be planted on portions of the landfill that have been freed after the processing of old waste. The reclaimed land is expected to be converted into a green zone once the waste removal and site preparation work is completed.
The Okhla landfill was established in 1996 and has remained one of Delhi’s major waste disposal sites for nearly three decades. Of its total area, around 23 acres have already been recovered from garbage, accounting for more than one-third of the original dumping ground.
Legacy waste processing nears completion
During an inspection of the landfill last week, Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi said the work to process legacy waste was close to completion. He said only about a week of work remained for the final phase of remediation involving old waste.
According to the mayor, the civic agency has already processed all legacy waste that had accumulated at the site before January 1, 2025. The focus has now moved to managing fresh waste that continues to arrive at the landfill.
Officials said the ongoing biomining operation is helping separate and process the older waste material, allowing usable land to be recovered gradually. The reclaimed sections will undergo further preparation before plantation activity begins.
MCD targets complete clearance by December
The civic body has set December 2026 as the target for completely clearing the Okhla landfill. Mayor Wahi said the progress at the site indicated that the deadline could be achieved, provided the work continues at the current pace.
He noted that the recovery of 23 acres from the garbage mound showed visible progress in the clean-up effort. The mayor said the landfill is expected to be cleared of both the remaining old waste and the fresh waste being handled at the site before the deadline.
The project is being monitored as part of Delhi’s efforts to reduce landfill dependence and improve solid waste management infrastructure. Once the waste mound is removed, the conversion of reclaimed land into green spaces is expected to improve the surroundings of the Okhla area.
Monsoon may affect biomining operations
Officials, however, said the monsoon season could affect the pace of biomining because wet waste is more difficult to process. Heavy rain can slow down sorting, screening and transportation work at landfill sites.
Despite this concern, the MCD has expressed confidence that the planned deadline remains achievable. The agency is continuing work on fresh waste management while completing the last stages of legacy waste processing.
The proposed plantation drive is expected to be one of the visible outcomes of the landfill restoration project. The move aims to ensure that land once occupied by garbage can be used as a green zone after environmental remediation and safety checks are completed.