New Delhi: A part of Bhalswa landfill in north Delhi is set to make way for a new Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) after it is flattened and the land reclaimed.According to a presentation at the secretariat on Tuesday, Delhi govt plans to build the ISBT on around 20 acres of land. It will be used for buses to and from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Haryana.Currently, most interstate buses coming to Delhi from destinations across north India terminate at Kashmere Gate ISBT, which often leads to heavy traffic congestion in surrounding areas. Bhalswa ISBT will help reduce this pressure on the Kashmere Gate terminal and also ease traffic movement.“The need for an additional ISBT in north Delhi has long been felt. It will decongest Kashmere Gate ISBT. Bhalswa is also close to the existing Delhi Metro network, and under Phase IV will get even better integrated, making it easier for bus passengers to switch to metro or other public transport options for onward travel within the city. Once it is built, Bhalswa ISBT will become an important northern gateway for interstate bus travel,” said a govt official.Bhalswa is one of Delhi’s three landfills, Ghazipur and Okhla being the other two. Spread across roughly 70 acres, Bhalswa accumulated nearly 80 lakh tonnes of legacy waste since beginning operations in 1994.Large-scale biomining and bioremediation work has been underway at the site since 2019 to excavate and process the waste. Nearly 74 lakh tonnes of waste has already been processed, and about 25 acres of land reclaimed so far.According to targets set by Delhi govt, the entire landfill is expected to be flattened by the end of 2026, after which it will roll out the process for building the ISBT at the site.“According to ongoing discussions, the terminal is expected to feature modern passenger facilities, such as spacious air-conditioned waiting lounges, digital information boards, ticket counters, food courts and retail outlets. Plans also include multiple bus bays, large parking areas, passenger pick-up and drop-off zones, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure to support the transition towards e-buses,” the official said. Govt has directed transport department officials to get a feasibility study conducted to examine the technical, traffic and other aspects of constructing an ISBT on the reclaimed landfill zone. “Once biomining is completed, the site is expected to be free from foul smell and environmental hazards, making the reclaimed land suitable for infrastructure development,” said the official.
