IIT-Delhi shares ideas on garbage disposal

New Delhi: Industry experts and IIT-Delhi representatives on Thursday made a presentation on a permanent solution for the mountains of garbage at three landfill sites in the city before lieutenant governor (L-G) Anil Baijal and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the capital.

A presentation in this connection was made at a meeting convened by the L-G to discuss and come up with solutions for Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla landfil sites. 

During the deliberations over Bhalswa and Okhla trash mounds, it was decided to undertake greening after grading their slopes in an engineered manner, according to an official press statement. 

The L-G also said that work at all the three sites would be carried out under the guidance of experts to take care of any contingencies. 

During the meeting, Prof Manoj Datta of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi elaborated on measures to improve stability of the landfills such as flattening the slope and removing leachate (liquid that drains or ‘leaches’ from a landfill) and gas. Case studies from Gorai (Maharashtra), Vapi (Gujarat) and Hyderabad (Telangana) were also demonstrated.

“The issue of emission control and need for elimination fires were also deliberated. Furtherm, the L-G was informed that a five-layer impervious cover/cap could be provided, besides removal of leachate and gas through drains and wells. Fires can be eliminated by collecting and flaring inflammable methane,” the statement added. 

Regarding the aesthetics of the landfill sites, it was suggested that the garbage slopes could be regraded and green vegetative growth engineered.

The normal time-frame to implement such measures, which are also quite expensive, range fromnine months to 18 months, depending upon site stated conditions and clearances.

During the meeting, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) chief executive officer talked about possible solutions for efficient forms of disposal of silt such as stocking it in geotubes and de-watering it along the banks of the existing major drains.

Mr Baijal also directed DJB chief executive officer  to consult with National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and other experts on this front and come up with firm proposals.