New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to explain how it plans to clear all 69 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste at the Ghazipur landfill by December 2027 while untreated municipal waste continues to be dumped at the site every day.
During a hearing, the MCD informed the tribunal that the Ghazipur landfill currently contains about 69 lakh MT of legacy waste, which it expects to eliminate by the end of 2027, The Times of India reported.
However, the bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Afroz Ahmad, noted that east Delhi generates 2,200-2,400 MT of municipal solid waste daily, of which only 1,200-1,300 MT is processed. This leaves 1,000-1,100 MT of untreated waste being added to the landfill every day.
The tribunal observed that the treatment gap is likely to continue until new waste-processing facilities become operational.
According to the MCD, a 2,000 tonnes per day (TPD) waste-to-energy plant is expected to begin operations in about two-and-a-half years. In addition, a 300 TPD municipal solid waste compressed biogas (CBG) plant and another 300 TPD biogas facility are also under development.
The NGT said that since these facilities will take time to become operational, untreated waste will continue to accumulate at the landfill.
“It needs to be explained on what basis this statement has been made that by December 2027, the entire legacy waste from the Ghazipur landfill site will be cleared,” the tribunal said.
The bench also questioned whether the target could be achieved when fresh waste was continuously being added, asking the MCD to clarify whether its estimate considered only the existing legacy waste or future additions as well.
The tribunal further sought clarification on data relating to the utilisation of the existing 12 MW waste-to-energy plant, after a court commissioner flagged discrepancies between the quantity of municipal solid waste processed and the corresponding electricity generation figures. While the MCD attributed the variation to differences in the calorific value of waste, the tribunal sought a detailed explanation.
The NGT also directed the MCD to provide an updated report on the repair of the landfill’s boundary wall, leachate management ahead of the monsoon, and groundwater quality around the Ghazipur dumpsite.
The matter has been posted for further hearing on September 22.
