With rapid urbanisation, Solid Waste Management has emerged as a critical challenge in Delhi, with a daily generation of 3,000 tonnes of untreated solid waste.
In the Union Budget, the allocation for urban waste management has been significantly enhanced from ₹2,159 crore in 2024-25 to ₹5,000 crore in 2025-26.
Furthermore, targeted policies such as identifying 100 potential cities for sewage and solid waste management projects reflect a broader vision of enhancing urban sustainability and environmental resilience through structured waste management reforms.
Delhi’s three major landfills — Ghazipur, Okhla, and Bhalswa — have accumulated 28 million tonnes of legacy waste since 2019, with only 10 million tonnes cleared, leaving 17.2 million tonnes still unresolved.
Over the past 40 years, approximately 600 trucks of garbage have been added daily. Of the 11,352 tonnes of solid waste generated daily, only 7,300 tonnes are processed at waste-to-energy plants and 1,000 tonnes at composting units, while the rest is dumped in landfills.
Health risks
Waste in India accounts for 6 per cent of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, with significant environmental and health impacts. Delhi’s Landfills release harmful gases like carbon monoxide, contributing to ozone formation and breathing problems.
A 2021 study by Chaudhary et al reveals that Delhi’s landfills exceed the Standard Leachate Pollution Index, exposing residents to risks such as tuberculosis and cancer.
According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (2023), over 35 per cent (4,000 TPD) of Delhi’s waste remains unprocessed, with waste generation projected to grow by over 4 per cent annually. Despite the Solid Waste Management Rules (2016) mandating 100 per cent waste segregation at source, only 55 per cent of Delhi’s waste is currently segregated, with experts doubting the feasibility of reaching 90 per cent by August 2026 due to poor implementation.
Additionally, concerns persist over waste-to-energy plants, which are highly investment-intensive and emit toxic compounds like dioxins. Environmentalists argue that India’s waste— high in moisture and low in combustible content — is unsuitable for energy production, leading to inefficient and unsustainable operations.
Policymakers must enforce strict regulations with penalties for non-compliance, invest in composting facilities — proven more efficient than landfills or waste-to-energy plants — and promote sustainable solutions like biomining for unsegregated waste.
Citizens role
Citizens too play a vital role by adhering to regulations and adopting sustainable daily practices. This includes avoiding plastic waste, and substituting it with alternatives such as paper cups.
Raising awareness among citizens is essential, along with ensuring the effective use of colour-coded bins for segregating degradable and non-biodegradable waste. Proper waste disposal measures, such as dispersing used oils — highly demanded for sustainable fuel production like biodiesel — through collection ecosystems, can further aid sustainability efforts.
Formalising Delhi’s informal waste-picking workforce and investing in skilled environmental engineers can address job insecurity, social marginalisation, and hazardous working conditions. Adopting circular economy principles — viewing waste as a resource — requires promoting composting, recycling, and doorstep collection through local bodies, NGOs, or waste-picker associations.
Immediate collective action is crucial, with policymakers enforcing progressive regulations and residents actively reducing and segregating waste to effectively address Delhi’s waste crisis.
Prathap is an independent researcher, and Mohapatra is a faculty member at NCAER in New Delhi. Views expressed are personal
