The landfill near Mukarba chowk had been an eye and nose sore for years. The constant public criticism that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi—MCD—had to bear for the nauseating site has impelled it to come out with a unique and innovative plan to dispose of the the capital’s garbage. The plan acquires more importance in view of the acute land shortage in the capital.

The MCD is developing an engineered sanitary landfill site at Jaitpur near Badarpur and it is the first of its kind in the capital.The site would be spread over an area of 24.6 acres of land. It would have a depth of 26 meters and have a capacity of approximately 1,000 metric tones a day. The technology will collect and use gases and prevent leachate from contaminating the ground water.

The cost of the project is estimated to be 500 crore rupees. It has been entrusted to a private company which hopes to complete it in December this year. The corporation is also exploring the possibilities of using the solid waste to produce energy from the waste.

The private company, according to standing committee chairman Vijendra Gupta “will take care of preparing the site, dumping garbage in it and finally, after it is full, of beautifying the site and providing green cover. The site should be available for garbage disposal for about seven years.’’

Delhi generates a gargantuan 6,000-7,000 metric tones of solid waste daily. If the population continues to grow at its present pace,the amount of garbage may rise to 14,300 metric tones daily by 2024.

Besides Jaitpur, Delhi has three more sites at Bhalaswa, Ghazipur and Okhla. Two more are under construction near Narela-Bawana and in the Bhatti mines.

Garbage landfill sites generate leachate or the liquid that drains from the landfill, seeps down the earth and contaminates the ground water. The garbage also emits poisnous gases like methane which pollute the air.

‘‘The new landfill site will have a lining to prevent leachate from seeping into the surrounding soil and contaminating ground water,’’ said Gupta. ‘‘Gases generated during dumping will also be collected in pipes and put to use.’’