Delhi is breaking down its garbage mountain. So, where does Bhalswa's waste go?, tell me about this news in (https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/delhi-bhalswa-ghazipur-landfill-cleaning-biowaste-rekha-gupta-mcd-2991373-2026-09-11)

The report covers how the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is actively taking down the massive 70-acre Bhalswa landfill through a large-scale remediation process called biomining, detailing where the excavated waste actually ends up rather than just being relocated.Key Highlights of the Report

• The Biomining Process: Instead of simply hauling the garbage elsewhere, excavators and sorting machinery dig up decades of accumulated “legacy waste” and separate it into three primary streams:
  • Inert Material (65%–75%): The fine, soil-like residue left behind after screening. This makes up the vast majority of the sorted waste and is transported to low-lying areas of Delhi (such as Narela and Rohini) to fill sunken ground.
  • Refuse-Derived Fuel / RDF (the combustible fraction): Burnable items like scrap cloth and plastics are shipped to paper mills and cement factories in and around neighboring states to be used as an alternative fuel in place of coal.
  • Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste (8%–10%): Concrete, bricks, and masonry rubble segregated for separate processing.
• Progress and Deadlines:
  • By July 31, 2026, about 99.07 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste had been excavated and processed.
  • Around 43 of the site’s 70 acres had been reclaimed, with daily processing rates ranging between 12,000 and 15,000 tonnes at an estimated cost of approximately Rs 400 per tonne.
  • The MCD set a target to finish processing the primary mound by mid-October, aiming for complete clearance of the site by December 31, 2026.
• Ongoing Challenges:
  • Fresh Waste Inflow: Even as older mounds are removed, roughly 4,000 tonnes of fresh municipal solid waste continue to arrive every day.
  • Environmental and Weather Constraints: Extreme heat and heavy rains complicate ground operations, while trapped methane gas remains a fire and air quality risk (echoing the major 2022 fire that caused massive spikes in PM2.5 and PM10 levels).
• Broader City Context: The project is part of a broader drive across the capital to clear both the Bhalswa and Okhla dumpsites by the end of 2026, followed by the Ghazipur landfill by 2027.