Bawana waste plant hits another hurdle

New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) ambitious plan to set up a waste-to-energy plant at Narela-Bawana continues to encounter setbacks, with a fresh hurdle now threatening to push the timeline further.Despite getting an allocation of Rs 26.4 crore for the shifting of 400kV transmission lines and initiating preliminary groundwork at the site, the work has been stalled by a proposed elevated metro corridor in the vicinity.“For the proposed metro line, the height of unipoles needs to be increased before shifting the transmission lines. While Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has agreed to pay the additional cost, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), which has to execute the relocation, said the design of unipoles would need to change now,” said an official.The civic body has flagged the issue to Delhi govt, seeking intervention to resolve the impasse. It recently urged govt to escalate the matter to lieutenant governor's office for expeditious coordination with central govt.The transmission lines are jointly owned by Delhi Transco Limited and PGCIL. A June deadline was set earlier, but work is pending.A DMRC official said the metro alignment didn’t directly hinder the project.

“There is, however, an issue regarding the relocation of power lines, which is being worked out in consultation with the agencies concerned to ensure that the metro construction is not affected," he said.A tripartite agreement for shifting the lines from the plant site was signed in April 2025 and payments were made accordingly. The project’s foundation stone was laid virtually by Union home minister Amit Shah in Sept 2025.The facility, envisioned as MCD's fifth WtE plant, will process 3,000 metric tonnes of segregated municipal waste daily and generate 28MW of electricity. Estimated to cost Rs 604 crore, the plant is designed for a 25-year operational life and targeted for commissioning by Dec 2027. The project is considered crucial to curbing the dumping of fresh waste at already saturated landfill sites.The project had earlier faced local resistance, but the construction gained momentum after Supreme Court upheld MCD’s authority to determine tariffs for the plant in March 2025.

Subsequently, the Union environment ministry granted environmental clearance in June for the 30MW plant.Expansion of existing facilities and the commissioning of the Bawana plant are critical to easing the burden on the city’s landfill sites. Another project to expand the Tehkhand plant is also facing delays as it is awaiting environmental clearance .