New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has begun the process of selecting an agency to operate and maintain the100 kilolitres per day leachate treatment plant and the engineered sanitary landfill at Tehkhand in southeast Delhi. Leachate is the liquid generated during the natural decomposition of garbage.
The MCD document on the selection process says, "We have requested agencies fulfilling the criteria to submit proposals by Dec 13.The process for financial bidding will start thereafter. Once the agency is finalised, the time allowed for the execution of the work is 36 months, including the mobilisation period. The execution of work shall commence from the date of signing of the contract agreement."
MCD has managed the site's operations since its inauguration in March. The site has 15.4 acres used as the engineered landfill, 0.49 acres for leachate collection and treatment and an acre for developing a 15-metre-wide green belt.
A civic official said, "The agency selected will be responsible for operations and maintenance for three years, engaging all its machineries, staff and work in accordance with guidelines and conditions specified by Delhi Pollution Control Committee in the consent-to-operate document. It will have to ensure that the leachate facility operates its full capacity and efficiently. The agency will also oversee the management of the engineered landfill site."
Officials said that the newly constructed leachate plant could process 100 kilolitres of leachate daily, though the current intake is 10-20 kilolitres. "The engineered landfill is primarily used for ash generated from the incineration at the waste-to-energy plants, which generates only a minimal amount of leachate. In contrast, the volume of leachate at the Ghazipur landfill is at least 300 kilolitres per day with 1,500 tonnes of fresh waste being dumped there every day," said the official.
To optimise the usage of the leachate treatment plant at Tehkhand, MCD will construct two storage tanks of 60,000-litre capacity each at the Ghazipur landfill. The collected leachate will be transported to Tehkhand in vehicles provided by the civic body's electrical and mechanical dept. The project's execution and efficient leachate collection at the Ghaziabad landfill is expected to prevent ground contamination and soil pollution there.
The treated leachate will be used to irrigate the green belt planned near the Tehkhand engineered plant. Any remaining treated leachate may be utilised for other green spaces in the city.
The Tehkhand landfill with a capacity of 10 lakh tonnes was constructed at a cost of Rs 42.3 crore. It is expected to be in operation for seven years, with MCD receiving Rs 300 per tonne of ash from operators of WTE plants for disposal there. The site features approach roads of varying widths (18m, 9m, and 4m) ensuring easy vehicular movement during operations.