New Delhi: The Delhi government is exploring new ways to generate energy and manage waste more effectively, including the use of cow dung from dairies and a new construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling facility, a senior official said on Thursday, reports The Week.
In a recent meeting with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) shared its strategy to handle waste at the local level in a more environmentally friendly way, the official said.
One of the key projects already underway is a biogas plant in Madanpur Khadar, where cow dung collected from local dairies is being converted into energy. The plant, installed by dairy owners, has a capacity of 10 tonnes per day and serves one of the 11 authorised dairies under MCD’s jurisdiction.
“The plant shows how waste can be turned into a useful resource,” the official said. “We are also constructing separate drains and settling tanks to stop cow dung from entering water drains.”
The MCD is implementing a similar pollution control project at Nangli Dairy, which involves building a dedicated drain and dung-settling chamber to stop cow dung from flowing into the main outfall drain. The cost of this pilot is estimated at ₹1.7 crore, and a ₹15 crore proposal has been submitted to expand the model to other dairy colonies.
Another major initiative involves a C&D waste recycling plant to be set up at the Okhla landfill site. This plant is designed to handle 1,000 tonnes of waste per day and will help manage Delhi’s daily C&D waste load, which currently stands at 5,500 to 6,000 tonnes.
Slated to be operational by December 2026, the plant will be built on eight acres of reclaimed land cleared through biomining. Recycled materials such as tiles, bricks, pavers, kerbstones, and stone dust will be produced and used in government construction projects. The MCD has made it compulsory to use these materials in all civic works, according to an official involved in the project.
Delhi has 106 designated dumping sites for C&D waste. For large waste producers—those generating over 300 tonnes per day—direct disposal at processing facilities is mandatory. The MCD is using its 311 app and local junior engineers to monitor waste collection and ensure compliance.
However, meeting the targets set by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) remains a challenge. In 2024–25, Delhi managed to use only about 14% (2.3 lakh metric tonnes) of its target of 16 lakh metric tonnes of C&D waste. The target for 2025–26 has been revised to 9.85 lakh metric tonnes, but just 2.49% has been achieved so far.
To further support monsoon preparedness, the MCD has developed a new silt disposal site in Shinghola on a 6.61-acre plot previously used as a garbage dump. After clearing 7.6 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste from the site, it is now being used to deposit silt collected from drains across multiple zones, including Narela, Rohini, Karol Bagh, Shahdara, and Civil Lines.
This initiative aims to prevent the clogging of drains during the rainy season and improve overall flood management across the city.
