Half Of Delhi's Daily Waste Still Reaches Landfills Despite Cleanup Drive

Nearly half of the waste generated in Delhi every day continues to be sent to the city's dumpsites, even as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi works to clear decades-old garbage from the landfill sites.

Around 50 per cent of Delhi's waste is also not being segregated at source, according to figures discussed at an MCD review meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Monday.

The findings have raised concerns that fresh garbage could replace the legacy waste being removed from the Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla dumpsites.

Officials have been asked to ensure that the waste arriving at these sites every day is processed instead of being added to existing garbage piles. The MCD will also be required to track whether its daily processing capacity is keeping pace with the amount of waste being collected across Delhi.

Indore Waste Model May Be Tested In One MCD Zone

The Lieutenant Governor directed officials to examine whether the waste-management system followed by the Indore Municipal Corporation could be introduced as a pilot project in one MCD zone.

Indore's model relies heavily on the segregation of waste at the household level, separate collection and transportation, and the processing of different categories of garbage.

The MCD has not yet identified the zone where the pilot will be conducted. Timeline, cost estimate or implementation plan has not been announced yet.

The proposed trial comes as Delhi continues to struggle with source segregation despite repeated campaigns and waste-management rules requiring households and commercial establishments to separate wet and dry waste.

Without segregation, mixed garbage is harder to recycle or process and is more likely to end up at landfill sites.

Fresh Waste Could Undermine Landfill-Clearing Work

The MCD is carrying out biomining and remediation work to reduce the mountains of accumulated garbage at Delhi's three major dumpsites.

However, Mr Sandhu has warned that the landfill-clearing exercise will have limited impact if large quantities of fresh waste continue to arrive every day.

Officials have been asked to introduce closer monitoring of the waste entering the dumpsites and the quantity processed daily. The focus will be on preventing new waste from accumulating while older garbage is being cleared.

Waterlogging And Dengue Preparedness Reviewed

The meeting also covered Delhi's monsoon preparedness, including the cleaning of drains and measures to prevent waterlogging.

Officials reviewed steps being taken to control mosquito breeding and reduce the risk of dengue and malaria during the rainy season.

Waterlogging has remained a recurring problem in several parts of Delhi during heavy rain, often disrupting traffic and exposing gaps in drain cleaning and maintenance.

Traffic congestion near toll gates and toll-tax collection points was also discussed, along with the implementation of the PM-UDAY scheme for residents of unauthorised colonies.

Road Resurfacing Included In Winter Pollution Plan

The MCD has also been asked to prepare a winter air-pollution action plan with a focus on resurfacing damaged roads.

Broken and poorly maintained roads can add to dust pollution when loose soil and debris are disturbed by traffic. The proposed plan is expected to identify roads requiring repairs before Delhi's air quality typically worsens during the winter months.

A separate safety audit of roads maintained by the MCD has also been ordered to identify dangerous stretches and other infrastructure-related risks.