Solid waste disposal: SC pulls up MC for sorry state of affairs

Satya Prakash

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New Delhi, July 26

Pulling up the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for “sorry state of affairs” with regard to implementation of the solid waste management rules in the Capital, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Union Environment Secretary to convene a meeting of MCD and Delhi Government officials to find a solution.

‘May lead to public health emergency’

Over 3,000 tonnes of untreated solid waste per day in Delhi may lead to a public health emergency. We don’t see light at the end of the tunnel as going by the affidavit (of MCD) and assuming that the timelines mentioned therein are abided by, there is no possibility of creating facilities in Delhi even till 2027 which will have capacity to deal with 11,000 tonnes of solid waste every day. — Supreme Court

“Going by the MCD affidavit and timelines therein, there are no possibilities of adequate facilities in Delhi till 2027 to treat 11,000 tonnes of solid waste in Delhi. No guesswork is needed that by then solid waste generated will multiply. It’s a sorry state of affairs in the capital city and can lead to a public health emergency,” a Bench of Justice AS Oka and Justice AG Masih said after being told that more than 3,000 tonnes of solid waste remained untreated daily in the Capital.

Delhi generated more than 11,000 tonnes of solid waste every day, while the daily capacity of processing plants made available by the MCD was only 8,073 tonnes, it noted while hearing a matter related to deteriorating air quality and disposal of solid waste in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).

Directing the Union Environment Secretary to convene a meeting of officials of the MCD and the Delhi Government to work out an immediate solution to the problem, the Bench posted the matter for further hearing on September 6.

The meeting should discuss steps required to avoid an emergency situation, said the Bench as it also directed the Delhi Government to consider a recent proposal regarding funding and permits for solid waste management plants.

As senior counsel Menaka Guruswamy, representing the MCD, said the municipal body has worked hard, the Bench said, “Do not think you are obliging anybody by trying to follow 2016 (Solid Waste Management) Rules.”

Earlier, amicus curiae Aparajita Singh said the situation in Delhi might lead to an emergency as generation of solid waste daily was more than 11,000 metric tonnes and waste treatment plants’ capacity was only a little over 8,000 tonnes.