20MMT garbage in city, Delhi may soon become landfill: HC

The Delhi High Court today said the national capital will soon turn into a landfill since it already houses around 20 million metric tonnes (MMT) of waste with 8000 metric tonnes (MT) being generated per day and no additional land to store the same.
Concerned over the various landfill sites exceeding their recommended capacity with 150-160 feet of rubble and the municipal corporations claiming lack of land, a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and I S Mehta roped in Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to find a solution to the problem.
DDA was asked to inform the court, by the next date of hearing, on the issue of providing land to municipal corporations of Delhi (MCDs) to set up 'dhalaos' (garbage dumps) and waste-to-energy plants.

Currently, there is a waste-to-energy plant at Okhla which, according to the civic bodies, generates around 16 mega watt per day.
"All that the figures indicate is that the landfill sites have been filled beyond their recommended capacity and there are no other sites. Apart from that, there is daily collection of 8000 MT garbage per day or 2.8 MMT annually.
"If this situation continues, we are afraid, Delhi itself will become a land-fill site. In view of this, DDA be added as respondent 5. Let counsel for DDA take instructions with respect to providing land to MCDs," the court said.

It also, during the proceedings, suggested making landfill sites in Uttar Pradesh but the civic bodies said they will need court orders for the same as the state government may not cooperate otherwise.

During the proceedings, the court noted that in 2008 total garbage in landfill sites in Delhi was estimated to be around 5 MMT and with 2.8 MMT being generated annually, the current figure would be about 20 MMT.
It also noted that while as per the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, the height of land-fill sites should not exceed 70-80 feet, they are currently in the range of 150-160 feet.

The bench directed MCDs to file an affidavit, by January 21, "specifically indicating their action plan as to how they propose to remove and dispose of the garbage so that Delhi remains clean".