The Special Committee meeting at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) civic center on Friday concentrated on strategies for implementing the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules of 2026 and emphasized the need for enhanced oversight. Chief Engineer Ajay Aggarwal outlined the key elements of the SWM Rules, 2026, as various councillors highlighted deficiencies in waste segregation and disposal at the source within their wards.
Delhi generates around 13,500 tonnes of waste daily, with approximately 40% classified as wet waste. Currently, the MCD only processes 60% of this waste. To address this issue, the corporation is in the process of building five decentralized fresh waste processing plants, which will collectively manage 6,000 tonnes and are expected to be operational by December or mid-January. This initiative aims to ensure that fresh waste does not end up in landfills after January.
Aggarwal reported that the MCD has identified 823 Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) throughout the city, having successfully removed 230 so far. A 15-day campaign from October 2 to October 17 is planned to clean, beautify, and eliminate an additional 300 to 400 GVPs. Furthermore, the capacity of waste collection tippers will increase from 1.75 to 2.25 cubic meters, resulting in a 30% rise in waste collection volume. The number of Fixed Compactor Transfer Stations (FCTS) in the South-Central zone will also increase from 17 to 50.
Regarding legacy waste, Aggarwal stated that approximately 200 to 220 lakh tonnes of the 280 lakh tonnes present in the Okhla, Bhalswa, and Ghazipur areas have been cleared. He indicated that the landfill sites at Okhla and Bhalswa are expected to be fully cleared within three months, while the Ghazipur site is projected for removal by December 2027.
Aggarwal also mentioned that the MCD is taking steps to manage 1,500 tonnes of cattle waste produced along the Yamuna River to mitigate pollution. An agreement has been established with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) for processing 600 tonnes across three facilities, which will elevate the total dung-processing capacity to nearly 1,400 tonnes per day within the coming year.
During the meeting, Aggarwal referenced a recent trip to Indore, where the MCD is looking to adopt effective practices from the city’s 2016-17 sanitation model. This includes a focus on comprehensive door-to-door waste collection, corporation-managed tippers, Material Recovery Facilities (MRF), and biomethanation plants.
Aggarwal encouraged residents to practice four-way waste segregation at the source by using separate bins before handing waste to collectors.
In accordance with Supreme Court directives and central guidelines, the MCD is working on establishing Reduce-Reuse-Recycle (RRR) centers in each ward for citizens to donate items such as clothes, shoes, utensils, and books.
Several councillors raised concerns regarding the practical implementation of the SWM guidelines. Kalkaji Ward Councillor Yogita Singh questioned the practicality of requiring four-way waste segregation, citing the lack of space for multiple bins in many households. While acknowledging residents’ willingness to separate wet waste, she noted their reluctance to have waste-processing or composting units nearby due to odor concerns.
Subhash Mohalla Ward Councillor Manisha Ashish Punia pointed out that while households might segregate waste, this practice often fails during the collection and transportation stages, where waste tends to be mixed. She emphasized the need for physical inspections of Bulk Waste Generators and mentioned that her zone operates with only five to six tippers despite the high waste volume.
Rohini C Ward Councillor Dharamveer Sharma suggested that penalties for open dumping be increased from Rs 500 to Rs 10,000.
Meanwhile, AAP Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ankush Narang accused the MCD of scheduling the House meeting on Friday to disrupt AAP councillors from participating in a protest at Jantar Mantar against alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
