The Supreme Court expressed severe displeasure with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday over its failure to address the chronic solid waste management issue in the capital, highlighting that 3,000 tonnes of solid waste remain untreated daily. Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, during the hearing, admonished the civic body for its plan to clear the backlog only by December 2027.
The bench was taken aback by MCD’s timeline as stated in their affidavit. “What is happening in the national capital? We are shocked to read this affidavit which says that it will take time till December 2027 to clear it,” remarked the justices. They criticized the central government as well, urging it not to “shut its eyes” to the glaring issue.
In a stern warning, the court suggested it might impose drastic measures, such as halting construction activities across Delhi to mitigate the situation, should there be no immediate improvement. This comes as the bench discussed the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which have evidently been neglected, leading to a daily accumulation of waste that significantly exceeds the city’s processing capabilities.
During the session, MCD’s counsel disclosed that the untreated waste is currently being transported to landfill sites at Bhalswa and Ghazipur. However, the justices were dissatisfied with this temporary solution and the extended timeline, demanding a detailed affidavit on where exactly these thousands of tonnes of waste are dumped each day.
Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, serving as an amicus curiae, pointed out a lack of coordination between the Delhi government and the Centre as a major roadblock in addressing the waste management crisis effectively. In response, the bench announced plans to facilitate a meeting between the two authorities to forge a path forward.
“This cannot continue in Delhi,” the bench asserted, highlighting the potential for the situation to worsen if not addressed promptly. They cautioned that without decisive action, the daily waste accumulation could increase to 5,000 tonnes within a year.
