Waste management takes centre stage at MCD meeting

At a Special Committee meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday, discussions centered around implementing the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, with a focus on tighter monitoring. Chief Engineer Ajay Aggarwal detailed the provisions of the new rules, while several councillors highlighted gaps in source-level waste segregation and disposal in their respective wards. Delhi generates about 13,500 tonnes of waste daily, with only 60% processed by the MCD.

To address this issue, the corporation plans to build five decentralised waste processing plants with a combined capacity of 6,000 tonnes, set to open by late December or early January. This will prevent fresh waste from reaching landfills after January. Currently, 823 Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) across the city have been identified, with 230 already eliminated. A 15-day drive from October 2 to October 17 aims to clean, beautify, and clear an additional 300 to 400 GVPs.

The tipper capacity will increase from 1.75 to 2.25 cubic metres, raising the volume of waste collected by 30%. Fixed Compactor Transfer Stations (FCTS) are expanding, with South-Central zone increasing from 17 to 50 stations. Around 200 to 220 lakh tonnes of legacy waste in Okhla, Bhalswa, and Ghazipur landfills have been cleared, with the Okhla and Bhalswa sites expected to be cleared completely within three months, and Ghazipur by December 2027.

MCD is also working to divert 1,500 tonnes of cattle waste from the Yamuna to curb river pollution, partnering with the National Dairy Development Board for 600 tonnes of capacity across three plants. This will bring total dung-processing capacity to nearly 1,400 tonnes per day within a year. The MCD's recent visit to Indore has inspired the adoption of elements from their 2016-17 sanitation model, including 100% door-to-door collection, corporation-owned tippers, Material Recovery Facilities (MRF), and biomethanation plants.

Aggarwal urged residents to follow four-way waste segregation at source, collecting waste in separate bins for disposal. However, councillors raised concerns about the feasibility of this mandate and questioned how many households have enough space for four separate dustbins. They also noted that segregation often breaks down at the collection and transport stage, leading to mixed waste.

Councillors from different wards emphasized the need for stricter penalties, improved inspections of Bulk Waste Generators, and raising the penalty for open dumping from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000. AAP Leader of Opposition in the MCD, Ankush Narang, claimed the meeting was called to prevent AAP councillors from protesting against SIR process irregularities at Jantar Mantar.