Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) first compressed biogas plant to process dairy waste is set to become fully operational next month in the Nangli area of south-west Delhi. Sources have indicated that chief minister Rekha Gupta is expected to inaugurate the facility on August 15.
This plant is the first of three proposed biogas facilities aimed at processing dairy waste, with additional installations planned at Goyla Dairy and Ghogha Dairy. Together, the three plants will process 600 metric tonnes (MT) of cattle waste daily. “These projects are designed to address the challenge of unauthorised dairy operations and promote the scientific disposal of cattle dung, which currently ends up in drains or landfill sites,” an MCD official said.
Each plant, built at an estimated cost of ₹16 crore, will process up to 200 MT of cattle dung per day. The biogas generated will be converted into CNG, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, while the byproduct – organic manure – will be used in MCD’s horticulture operations.
“There are around 1,500 dairies in the Nangli and Goyla. These dairies discharge a substantial amount of dung, much of which flows into the Najafgarh Drain, a direct tributary of the Yamuna. The new plants will significantly reduce this source of pollution,” said MCD Standing Committee chairperson Satya Sharma.
Meanwhile, MCD is also working to set up three decentralised biomethanation plants to treat 750 MT of organic waste daily. One such facility, located in Ghogha, northwest Delhi, is also scheduled to become operational next month. The plant will process 100 MT of waste per day and is being established by Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the civic body.
The second major facility – a bio-CNG plant at Okhla with a capacity to process 300 MT of waste per day – is being developed over seven acres. Although initially slated for completion in July 2024, the project is only 45 per cent complete due to delays. The revised completion target is Dec 2025.
The third plant – a compressed biogas facility at Ghazipur – will process 350 MT of wet waste daily. Also being developed by IGL, the MoU for this project was signed on November 26, 2024. The project is targeted for commissioning by December 2026.
