The Supreme Court of India has highlighted a significant failure in the enforcement of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, within Delhi, marking a critical concern over environmental compliance in the capital.
In a stern directive issued on November 11, the bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih addressed the lack of actionable measures taken towards implementing the 2016 Rules. The justices stressed the urgent need for all responsible authorities to devise a concrete, time-bound action plan to ensure full compliance.
“The lack of coordination and actionable results has led us to this point where we might consider passing stringent orders if a comprehensive action plan is not presented,” the bench stated. They have mandated the chief secretary of the Delhi government to spearhead a collaborative meeting involving all key stakeholders, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), to forge a path forward.
The meeting aims to culminate in a unified report detailing a clear timeline for compliance, which must be submitted to the court by December 13. “It’s disheartening to see the 2016 Rules, critical for the ecological health of our capital, reduced to mere paperwork,” remarked Justice Oka during the proceedings.
This directive follows previous observations by the court on the rampant mismanagement of solid waste in Delhi, which not only exacerbates the city’s pollution crisis but also poses severe risks to public health. Notably, on July 26, the court had already expressed its concern over the MCD’s handling of the city’s solid waste, revealing that over 3,000 tonnes of waste remains untreated daily, potentially leading to a public health emergency.
With Delhi’s landfill sites nearing capacity—expected to exceed by 2026—the situation remains dire. The MCD reported that while the city generates over 11,000 tonnes of solid waste each day, the existing facilities can only process about 8,073 tonnes.
As the December 16 hearing approaches, the apex court’s focused attention on this matter underscores the broader implications of waste management failures, reflecting a possible endemic issue across other Indian cities.
