Background

Rapidly growing urban sprawl in Delhi has resulted in increased municipal solid waste production. In 2005, 5922 tonnes per day (TPD) of waste was being generated in Delhi. Current practice in India is to dispose of waste in open landfill sites without any kind of processing or treatment, which results in anaerobic decomposition and the release of methane gas. Methane is 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere and therefore is a major contributor to global warming. Four compost plants have been installed in Delhi with a cumulative capacity of 1250 TPD. Out of these four plants currently only two are working with a cumulative installed capacity of 650 TPD. Thus about 90% of the waste being generated in the city is being disposed of in landfill sites.

The project

The Tikri Project will treat biodegradable waste predominantly from vegetable market(s) of Delhi and on average will divert approximately 73,000 tons of MSW per year that otherwise would have been disposed of in nearby landfill sites. The received mixed wastes from local vegetable markets are weighed and the waste is stacked in the form of trapezoidal heaps called 'windrows’  4-6m wide and 2-3m high. Windrows are periodically turned and shifted once a week for five-six weeks to provide proper aeration and temperature control to enable aerobic decomposition of waste.

Benefits beyond emissions

Social

• The project will create new jobs for local people at the composting facility and indirectly through waste collection and transportation of compost to the end user.

Economic

• The project will assist in providing compost supply for urban agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, vegetable production in and around Delhi and crop farming in the neighbouring states. Maintaining fertility of the soil is critical to the agrarian economy of India and food safety, necessary to feed a billion people.
• Since the price of the compost will be subsidised using revenue from carbon credit, the compost will be affordable to the average family.
• Acts as a flagship model for managing municipal waste - encouraging other environmentally sustainable and financially viable waste management practices.

Environmental

• Improvements to the local environment by reducing noxious air pollution from landfill - benefitting health and reducing odour