Delhi’s solid waste Management System

Landfill sites in Delhi had exceeded their capacity way back in 2008 and most of these sites have contaminated
groundwater in and around their neighbourhood
Delhi’s garbage conundrum is not new. With garbage hills piling up and a systemic failure in the way the corporations
are running, everything has come to a standstill.
Around 20, 000 civic workers of the EDMC have gone on an indefinite strike for the fifth time since 2015 for non-
payment of salaries being as a richest municipalities in the country?
The present situation: Burn or Dump
Over 9,500 tonnes per day (TPD) of garbage is generated per day in the city. About 8,000 TPD of waste is collected
and transported to three landfill sites at Bhalswa, Okhla and Ghazipur. Actual waste generation in the city could be
much higher, as a bulk of the waste is managed by the informal sector. According to an estimate, there are about
150,000 rag pickers in Delhi. Worst, the three landfill sites are not designed as per specifications mentioned in the
Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. According to the Master Plan for Delhi, 2021, these landfill sites had exceeded
their capacity way back in 2008. Most of these sites have contaminated the aquifers and groundwater in and around
their neighbourhoods.
As per the latest draft manual on municipal solid waste management prepared by the Union Ministry of Urban
Development, three million tonnes of waste can be accommodated on 40 ha of land (keeping in mind that the life of
a landfill is 20 years). Delhi needs 800 ha of land, which would cost Rs 80,000 crore going by the present circle rate!
But the city simply does not have the land.
In addition, municipalities are required to incur recurrent operating expenses on labour and machinery at the landfill,
which comes to about Rs 300 per tonne of waste. Expenditure on transportation is nearly Rs 800 per tonne (according
to Tufail Ahmed, who has been managing landfills in Delhi for almost three decades now). According to
an assessment by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), every tonne of waste disposed of at a landfill
would cost the MCD about Rs 14,500—a sum that is highly unsustainable.
Landfills are clearly not the answer!
Technology: Centralised vs Decentralised
Waste-to-energy, as an idea, has been sold to urban local bodies like magic bullet. Burn and forget. But that is not
happening. The residents of Sukhdev Vihar know the plight of a WTE plant right next to their houses. They have not
opened their windows in years. The Okhla Waste-to-Energy plant is taking up close to 2000 TPD of garbage. Waste
for this plant is largely collected from south Delhi: while the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) sends in
1,800 metric tonnes per day (MTD), about 200 MTD is fed by the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). Five
MW of electricity can be generated by incinerating 450 tonnes of the solid waste in an hour. A total investment of Rs
250 crore has been made in the plant on a land of 5.6 hectares.
The tribunal has been hearing a petition filed by the Sukhdev Vihar Residents Welfare Association, demanding the
closure of a waste-to-energy plant, alleging that it uses illegal mass-burning technology that causes air pollution.
However, the plant is still running and even the green court has not asked for any action.
As per the NGT order in 2015, states were directed to adopt a cluster approach for waste management. As more waste
gets generated, more land will be required in this scheme of things.
Tipping fee?
A look into the detailed project reports (DPRs) and contract agreements signed by the concessionaire (private party)
and the municipality exposes the fact that segregation of waste is limited to documents only. The concessionaire is
responsible for door-to-door collection, but takes mixed waste from houses as it increases the tipping fee/tonne of
waste. As per an official of the NDMC, segregation of waste reduces the tipping fee given by the municipality to the
concessionaire. The amount of the fee also varies widely from municipality to municipality.
NGT’s recent judgement directs states, UTs to give action plan for waste management
On December 22, 2016, a judgement by the NGT directed all states and Union Territories to submit their action plan
in terms of the Rules of 2016 by January 20, 2017. The action plan would relate to the management and disposal of
waste in the entire state. The steps are required to be taken in a time-bound manner. As per the judgement, the plan
should be in accordance to the principles of circular economy. What’s obvious from the recent judgement is that hybrid
plans are needed to save the cities from drowning in their garbage. A mix of technologies such as biomethanation,
composting, conversion to refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and converting waste to power generation is the only solution.
Every state and UT has been asked to implement the SWM Rules, 2016 in all respects. The Environment Ministry in
April 2016 had revised the 16-year-old rules for solid waste management with an aim to start more solid waste
treatment plants across the country and set agendas for central ministries, state governments and local bodies.
The NGT has also directed the imposition of an environmental compensation for open burning of wastes. For each
default, the violators shall be liable to pay environmental compensation of Rs 5,000 in case of simple, and Rs 25,000 in
case of bulk waste burning. The environmental compensation shall be recovered as arrears of land revenue by the
competent authority as per the law. The WTE plants across the country were also directed to run on segregated waste
only.
What can Delhi do?
We need hybrid solutions. We need a landfill, but only for rejects and inerts. We need waste to energy, but then such
plants should ensure that they run on segregated waste only. With over 50 per cent biodegradable waste, there is high
potential to compost or generate biogas out of the segregated wet waste. And all this cannot work, unless we segregate
at source. With over thousands of crores being spent on collection and transportation, time has come to think out of
the box. We can learn from our neighbours and cities across India that are doing commendable work on waste
management.
Look at the Alleypey model, where residents have taken it upon themselves to segregate and treat waste at source. It
is the best model in the country on decentralised waste management. We can even look at Panjim; the municipal
corporation not only ensures segregation at source, but also segregates dry waste into 30 different categories. And
then there is Mysuru, Suryapet, Bobbili and a lot of other cities that are doing commendable work. They have adopted
local solutions, not global to become zero-waste cities. The CSE has documented cities that are doing commendable
work on waste management.
We need to take waste management in our hands. Time has come to make it a habit. Just like brushing our teeth. Every
day!

India’s challenges in waste management

Most recyclable waste ends up in a dump yard due to the lack of efficient waste management
Waste management rules in India are based on the principles of "sustainable development", "precaution" and "polluter
pays". These principles mandate municipalities and commercial establishments to act in an environmentally
accountable and responsible manner—restoring balance, if their actions disrupt it. The increase in waste generation as
a by-product of economic development has led to various subordinate legislations for regulating the manner of disposal
and dealing with generated waste are made under the umbrella law of Environment Protection Act, 1986 (EPA).
Specific forms of waste are the subject matter of separate rules and require separate compliances, mostly in the nature
of authorisations, maintenance of records and adequate disposal mechanisms.
With rapid urbanisation, the country is facing massive waste management challenge. Over 377 million urban people
live in 7,935 towns and cities and generate 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste per annum. Only 43 million
tonnes (MT) of the waste is collected, 11.9 MT is treated and 31 MT is dumped in landfill sites. Solid Waste
Management (SWM) is one among the basic essential services provided by municipal authorities in the country to
keep urban centres clean. However, almost all municipal authorities deposit solid waste at a dumpyard within or
outside the city haphazardly. Experts believe that India is following a flawed system of waste disposal and
management.
The key to efficient waste management is to ensure proper segregation of waste at source and to ensure that the waste
goes through different streams of recycling and resource recovery. Then reduced final residue is then deposited
scientifically in sanitary landfills. Sanitary landfills are the ultimate means of disposal for unutilised municipal solid
waste from waste processing facilities and other types of inorganic waste that cannot be reused or recycled. Major
limitation of this method is the costly transportation of MSW to far away landfill sites.
A report by IIT Kanpur (2006) found the potential of recovering at least 15 per cent or 15,000 MT of waste generated
every day in the country. This, the report said, could also provide employment opportunities to about 500,000 rag-
pickers. The report added that despite immense potential in big cities in this area, participation from non-profits or
community is limited.
In some urban centres, people working in the informal sector collect solid waste for each doorstep to get a collection
fee and derive additional income from sale of recyclables. The informal recycling industry plays a major role in waste
management. It also ensures that less waste reaches landfills.
There has been technological advancement for processing, treatment and disposal of solid waste. Energy-from-waste
is a crucial element of SWM because it reduces the volume of waste from disposal also helps in converting the waste
into renewable energy and organic manure. Ideally, it falls in the flow chart after segregation, collection, recycling
and before getting to the land fill. But many waste to energy plants in India are not operating to their full potential.
Installation of waste-to-compost and bio-methanation plants would reduce the load of landfill sites. The biodegradable
component of India’s solid waste is currently estimated at a little over 50 per cent. Bio-methanation is a solution for
processing biodegradable waste which is also remains underexploited. It is believed that if we segregate biodegradable
waste from the rest, it could reduce the challenges by half. E-waste components contain toxic materials and are non-
biodegradable which present both occupational and environmental health threats including toxic smoke from recycling
processes and leaching from e-waste in landfill into local water tables.
The concept of common waste treatment facility (ENVIS Newsletter, December 2010) is being widely promoted and
accepted as it uses waste as a resource by either using it as a co-fuel or co-raw material in manufacturing processes.
This has led to rise of Public Private Partnership (PPP) models in waste management which has open doors for doing
business in waste management.
Bio-medical waste (management and handling) rules, 1998 prescribe that there should be a Common Biomedical
Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF) at every 150 kms in the country. CBWTFs have been set up and are functioning
in cities and towns. However, establishment of functional CBWTF throughout the country must be ensured. Integrated
common hazardous waste management facilities combine secured landfill facility, solidification/stabilisation and
incineration to treat hazardous wastes generated by various industrial units. They contribute about 97.8 per cent of
total landfill waste and 88 per cent of total incinerable hazardous waste generated in the country, as per an environment
ministry report.
The way forward
Around 100 cities are set to be developed as smart cities. Civic bodies have to redraw long term vision in solid waste
management and rework their strategies as per changing lifestyles. They should reinvent garbage management in cities
so that we can process waste and not landfill it (with adequate provisioning in processing and recycling).To do this,
households and institutions must segregate their waste at source so that it could be managed as a resource. The Centre
aims to do away with landfill sites in 20 major cities. There is no spare land for dumping garbage, the existing ones
are in a critical state. It is reported that almost 80 per cent of the waste at Delhi landfill sites could be recycled provided
civic bodies start allowing ragpickers to segregate waste at source and recycle it. Compost pits should be constructed
in every locality to process organic waste. Community participation has a direct bearing on efficient waste
management. Recovery of e-waste is abysmally low, we need to encourage recycling of e-waste on a very large scale
level so that problem of e-waste disposal is contained.
The first two months of this year, for Delhiites, were marked by filth and household waste lying around their houses
and on streets for many days during strikes by the municipal corporations’ safai karamcharis or sanitation workers.
According to Delhi government’s Department of Environment, Delhi generates 8,360 tonnes of municipal solid waste
on a daily basis. This is managed by five local governments—East Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi
Municipal Corporation, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Cantonment Board and New Delhi Municipal Council—
which dump waste at three landfill sites in Bhalswa, Okhla and Ghazipur. One might have even seen these huge
mountains of garbage while travelling out of Delhi. These landfills have run out of their capacity since long but
continue to be operational due to unavailability of land for new landfills. Processing and treatment of waste is an
essential service that must be provided by the local authorities. But in reality, at most places the waste is just collected
only to be deposited at another place with minimal or no treatment.
It is estimated that the per capita generation of municipal solid waste in Delhi is 500 grams per day and over 50 per
cent of this waste is bio-degradable or recyclable. However, the type of waste largely varies across the city according
to people’s lifestyle and income level. Thus, for efficient solid waste management (SWM), the composition of waste
must be determined at the level of treatment.
The principal problem of waste management is that there’s not enough money for it as it’s not considered a priority.
Hence, to deal with waste, we need to bring down the costs, use new innovative technologies, or raise revenues from
user fees, taxes, selling of recycled items and so on. Ideally, we need to do it all. A majority of the cost component
includes collection and transportation. And this can be brought down by decentralised SWM and efficient
implementation of modern logistical solutions.
Why decentralised SWM?
Solid waste management has been believed to be the responsibility of solely the municipal governments. However,
decentralised SWM involves a paradigm shift from this perception and system of SWM, and puts the onus on the
generator of the waste by beginning waste management at the source. This would reduce the quantity of waste
generated at source by involving the community in waste segregation and processing by adopting practices of
recycling, composting, bio-gas generation, among others. The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, released by the
Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change are a step in this direction.
This will reduce the cost incurred in collection, transportation and processing of waste. Also, less waste will reach the
landfill because in most cities as much as 50 per cent of the waste is fit for composting and about 30 per cent for
recycling. Effective segregation at source, in transit and during disposal, will mean only 20 per cent of the refuse is
needed to be sent to the landfill.
Importantly, informal workers like rag-pickers and recyclers would get integrated into the system. Pune Municipal
Corporation’s initiative to integrate the rag-pickers in SWM process through an organisation named SWaCH has
proved to be a success in effective SWM. Similarly, the work done by SEWA in Ahmedabad to integrate female rag-
pickers in the mainstream has shown great results and has been appreciated by the World Bank.
How to achieve decentralised SWM?
The focus of a decentralised SWM initiative should be on the segregation of waste at source by institutionalising this
throughout the waste management chain from collection to disposal and by promoting behavioural change. The
NIMBY approach must be completely wiped out by incentivising segregation at source, systematic awareness
programmes, involving the youth and making waste management a matter of pride rather than just another task.
There is tremendous potential in group housing societies to reduce the burden on civic agencies by segregating waste
at household level. The organic waste, which is in majority, can be composted at site or if feasible, there can be a
common composting site for a few housing societies. The manure produced can either be used for gardens in the
housing societies or for public parks. Manure can even be sold to earn some revenue for sustaining the system.
Involving rag-pickers and recyclers of the neighbourhood in processing waste would help both the society and rag-
pickers. The rag-pickers can collect and sell the recyclables. This too reduces the waste headed to the landfill and
prevents rag-pickers from having to rummage through the waste.
Success stories
It’s encouraging to know that there are communities that have undertaken such initiatives. In Delhi, Resident Welfare
Associations (RWAs) have been key players in decentralised SWM. A Defence Colony RWA has been composting
the colony’s household and park waste in simple dug pits in a park for many years now. The municipal corporation
supported construction of the pits and the operational costs are met through user fees, sale of recyclables and manure
(a detailed case study can be found here). A Vasant Vihar RWA had also started composting in a park, but a visit in
August showed that the composting has been stopped due to some residents’ concerns over foul smell. Thus, the entire
community must be mobilised from the planning stage itself and each household must have a stake through source
segregation. Only when every citizen takes ownership of waste management will we actually achieve a Swachh
Bharat.

Delhi’s Solid Waste Management Bye-Laws focus on individual accountability

By emphasisng on segregating waste and making the generator accountable, the bye-laws have taken a stride towards
improving waste management scenario in Delhi
The Solid Waste Management Bye-Laws 2018 for the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) were notified on
January 15, 2018 by the lieutenant governor (L-G). For the first time, the bye-laws have been framed under Section 5
of the Environment (Protection) Act and not the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. All the five local bodies—
NDMC, South DMC, North DMC, East DMC and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB)—shall enforce the bye-laws in
their jurisdiction. The bye-laws were framed by a 16-member committee constituted by the Delhi High Court. The
members of the committee include Centre for Science and Environment, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate
Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) and all municipal corporations of Delhi.
State of Solid Waste Management in Delhi
The five municipal corporations, comprising over 280 wards, generate approximately 14,000 tonnes per day (TPD) of
solid waste. However, we do not have a clear idea whether these are accurate figures. Per capita generation in the city
ranges from 550-600 grams per day. As per the figures provided by the MCDs, over 10,500 TPD of garbage is
collected. The city has a processing capacity of 6,100 TPD, thanks to its three incineration plants and two centralised
composting units. Approximately 4,600 TPD is disposed in three dumping sites of Delhi—Okhla, Bhalswa and
Ghazipur.
According to Arpit Bhargava, one of the petitioners at the Delhi High Court who had sought directions to municipal
bodies to take steps to prevent the spread of dengue, chikungunya, and malaria, these bye-laws put the onus on waste
generator and shall further push them to adopt sustainable lifestyle. The major emphasis has been given on segregating
waste and making the generator accountable.
Operationalise segregation at source
Section 4 of the bye-laws emphasises generator’s responsibility to segregate at source. Every waste generator has to
segregate waste into three streams: biodegradable (wet waste), non-biodegradable (dry waste) and domestic hazardous
waste. These streams of waste are to be stored in colour-coded bins: green, blue and black meant for wet, dry and
domestic hazardous waste respectively. Gated colonies, RWAs, hotels and restaurants need to ensure in-situ
processing of wet waste as far as possible. The recyclable waste from bulk generators, commercial areas and hotels
needs to be collected by authorised waste pickers or recyclers.
Door-to-door collection and transportation of segregated solid waste
 Under Section 5 of the bye-laws, MCD will provide door-to-door collection and transportation of segregated solid
waste, including in slums and informal settlements by integrating informal door-to-door collection system with the
municipality. Area-wise time slots for waste collection will be set and published on the website of MCDs. The MCDs
will also ensure in-situ treatment of biodegradable waste, for instance, in fruit and vegetable markets, residential areas
and RWAs.
Under section 6 of the bye-laws, all the secondary storage points (dhalaos) will have covered colour-coded containers
for storing wet, dry and domestic hazardous waste. The MCDs shall convert the existing dhalaosinto recycling centres
for further segregation of dry waste. Households should be able to directly deposit or sell their recyclable waste to
authorised waste dealers at these recycling centres at pre-notified rates. The MCDs will involve informal sector for
managing these recycling centres. Moreover, a deposition centre will be made available in each ward for collecting
domestic hazardous waste.
Decentralised or semi-decentralised systems to process waste
Under section 8 of the bye-laws, preference will be given to decentralised waste processing like biomethanation,
composting, and any other method for biostabilisation of biodegradable waste so that transportation cost and
environmental impacts are minimised. For waste-to-energy plants, absolute segregation of waste has been made
mandatory. The MCDs need to ensure that horticultural, park and garden waste is processed in parks and gardens as
far as possible. All the inert and residual waste has to be disposed in a manner prescribed under the Solid Waste
Management Rules, 2016.
Brand owners held accountable
All brand owners, who are responsible for selling their products in non-biodegradable packaging material, will have
to put in place a system to collect back the packaging waste generated. The bye-laws also hold the manufacturers/brand
owners/marketing companies of sanitary napkins accountable for generating waste. They have to now explore the
possibility of using all recyclable materials in their products and educate masses for proper wrapping and disposal of
such waste.
User fees and penalty
Under section 11 of the bye-laws, user fee shall be fixed for services like garbage collection, transportation and
disposal from waste generators by the MCDs. The MCDs have been asked to evolve a mechanism for collection of
user charges within three months of the notification of these bye-laws. Under the bye-laws, penalty shall also be
imposed for non-segregation, dumping of solid waste in vacant plots and burning it in the open.

User Fee from each premise/ House/ Dwelling

S.No. Categories
Unit/ Flat per month (in Rupees)

1. Residential dwelling units

(i) Up to 50 sq m 50

(ii) Over 50 sq m upto 200 sq m 100

(iii) Over 200 sq m 200

2. Street vendors 100

Commercial establishments, shops, eating places

3. 500
(Dhaba/sweet shops/ coffee house etc.)

4. Guest houses/ Dharamshalas 2,000

5. Hostels 2,000

6. Restaurants with seating capacity of up to 50 persons 2,000

7. Restaurants with seating capacity of more than 50 persons 3,000

8. Hotels (Unstarred) 2,000

9. Hotels (Up to 3 star) 3,000

10. Hotels (Above 3 star) 5,000

Commercial offices, government offices, bank, insurance

11. 2,000
offices, coaching classes, educational institutes etc.

Clinics, dispensaries, laboratories (upto 50 beds) only non-bio

12. 2,000
medical waste

Clinic, dispensary, laboratories (more than 50 beds) only non-

13. 4,000
bio medical waste

Small and cottage industry, workshops (only non-hazardous

14. 3,000
waste)

15. Godowns, cold storages (only non-hazardous waste) 5,000

Marriage/ party halls, festival halls, Party Lawns, exhibition

16. 5,000
and fairs

17. Clubs, Cinema Halls, Pubs, Multiplexes and other such places 4,000

Any other non-commercial, commercial, religious or

18. 2,000
charitable institutions not covered in any other category

As decided by the Commissioner, MCD by

19. Other places/ activity not marked as above
general or special order
 Penalty as per SWM bye-laws 2018

Sr. Rule/ Bye Laws Fine for every

Offences Applicable to
No. no. default (INR)

Residential 200

Marriage/Party Halls, festival halls,

Party Lawns, Exhibition and fairs with 10,000
area less than 5,000 sq m
Failure to segregate and store waste and
Rule 4(1)(a) of
1 handover segregated waste in
SWM Rules
accordance with the rules Clubs, Cinema halls, Pubs, Community
Halls, Multiplexes and other such places 5,000
with area less than 5,000 sq m

Other non-residential entities with area

500
less than 5000 sq.m.

Failure to deal with sanitary waste in Residential 200

Rule 4(1)(b) and accordance with the rule Failure to deal
2.
(d) of SWM Rules with horticulture waste and garden
waste in accordance with the rule Non- residential 500

3. Failure to deal with construction and Residential 1,000

Rule 4(1)(c) of
demolition waste in accordance with the
SWM rules
rule Non-residential 5,000

Rule 4(2) of SWM

4. Open burning of solid waste Violator 5,000
rules

Person(s), who has/ve organised such

Organising an event or gathering of event or gathering or, on whose behalf
Rule 4(4) of SWM more than one hundred person at such event or gathering has been
5. 10,000
rules unlicensed place without following the organised and the event manager(s), if
prescribed procedure any, who has/ve organised such event or
gathering

Rule 4(5) of SWM Street vendor failing to deal with waste

6. Violator 200
rules in accordance with the rule

Bye-Law 13(1)
read the Rule
7. Littering Offender 500
15(g) of SWM
rules
Fine shall be levied only once in a month for the following violations

Resident Welfare Association 10,000

Rule 4(6) of SWM Failure to deal with waste in accordance
8.
rules with the rule
Market Association 20,000

Gated community 10,000

Rule 4(7) of SWM Failure to deal with waste in accordance
9.
rules with the rule
Institution 20,000

Hotel 50,000
Rule 4(8) of SWM Failure to deal with waste in accordance
10.
rules with the rule
Restaurant 20,000

Selling or marketing of disposable

Rule 17(2) of products without a system of collecting
11. Manufacturer and/or Brand owner 1,00,000
SWM rules back the packaging waste generated due
to their production

Rule 17(3) of Failure to take measure in accordance Manufacturer and/or Brand owner
12. 50,000
SWM rules with the rule and/or marketing companies

Rule 18 of SWM Failure to replace fuel requirement by

13. Industrial Unit 1,00,000
rules refuse derived fuel

Municipal Solid Waste

In Delhi, 5 Municipal Authorities are responsible for Municipal solid Waste Generation and Management.

There are 3 landfill sites namely Bhalswa land fill site, Ghazipur land fill site, Okhla land fill site. Bhalswa Land fill
site commissioned in the year 1994, whereas Ghazipur in 1984 and Okhla in 1996. In absence of availability of landfill
sites, all the 5 Municipal Bodies are using these three sites for illegal disposal of MSW.
Another Integrated MSW management plant of 4000 TPD capacity has been developed at Narela-Bawana and the
plant is operational for 2000 TPD.
In addition there are 3 Waste to Energy Plants in Delhi as per the following details:

S. No. Name Plant Capacity Electricity Generated Status

( MTD ) (MW)
1. Timarpur - Okhla Waste to Energy Plant 1950 16 Operational
2. Ghazipur Waste to Energy Plant 1300 12 Operational
3. Narela Waste to Energy Plant 3000 24 Operational
* Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, GOI has notified the revised Solid Waste Management Rules
2016. The responsibility of management of Municipal Solid Waste has been entrusted with Urban Development
Department and Urban Local Bodies.
Bio-Medical Waste
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, GOI has notified new revised Bio-Medical Waste Management
Rules, 2016. The prescribed authority for implementation of the provisions of these rules is Delhi Pollution Control
Committee.
Electronic Waste
Govt. of India has issued revised E-waste Management Rules 2016 which have come into force from 1st October
2016.
Plastic Waste
Plastic waste especially carry bags has been creating nuisance in Delhi despite over 12 years of massive awareness
campaign “Say No To Plastic Bags”. Hon’ble High Court of Delhi had passed a judgment in August 2008 for imposing
ban on plastic carry bags in main markets, local shopping centers, etc. subsequent to which Government of Delhi had
issued a notification on 07.01.2009, but the situation continued to worsen even after three years of issue of this
notification. In light of this, Government of Delhi has imposed ban on manufacture, sale, storage, usage, import and
transport of plastic carry bags in NCT of Delhi vide Notification dated 23.10.2012.

This notification has been challenged in the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi by All India Plastic Industries Association
and on 05-12-2016, Hon'b le High Court of Delhi has transfered this matter to the Hon'ble NGT for further decision.

Besided, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, GOI has notified revised Plastic Waste Management
Rules 2016 on 18-03-2016. These rules entrust the resposibility of plastic waste management with Urban Development
Department and the Urban local Bodies.

Construction and Demolition Waste

A Construction and Demolition Waste processing plant of capacity 2000 MTD has been installed by M/s IL & FS and
is operational at Jahangirpuri for processing of construction and demolition waste in Delhi. A Construction and
Demolition Waste processing plant of capacity 500 MTD at Shastri Park, Delhi is operational and is run by M/s IL &
FS.

Processed construction and demolition material is used for making tiles/pavement blocks and also for ready mix
concrete, aggregates etc.

Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, GOI has notified the Construction and Demolition Waste
Management Rules, 2016. As per these Rules, the Secretary in-charge of Urban Development shall prepare their policy
document with respect to management of construction and demolition of waste in accordance with the provisions of
these rules within one year from date of final notification of these rules.
 How Delhi Is Managing its Waste.

The quantity of municipal solid wastes generated in Delhi has been consistently rising over the years. This can be
attributed to the rapid population growth, mass migration of population from rural to urban areas, increase in economic
activities in general in the city and the change in lifestyle of the people. According to the Population Census 2001, the
highest percentage of urban population in India is in Delhi(93.01%).There has been a decennial population growth of
46.31% between 1991 and 2001 as Against the corresponding All-India level, which is 21.34%. Along with intrinsic
population growth the rural to urban mass migration account for additional population pressure on the city. Change in
lifestyle of the people has resulted in increased wasteful consumption, leading to a change in the composition and
increase in the quantum of solid waste generated.

Urban solid waste is normally a complex mixture of household, construction, commercial, toxic industrial elements
and hospital wastes. On an average, Delhi generates 4000 tonnes1 of municipal solid waste per day. A physical
analysis reveals that it consists of about 32% compostable matter. The recyclable components include paper 6.6%,
plastics 1.5% and metals 2.5%. Primarily the responsibility of solid waste management is vested upon several public
sector agencies. However, various other stakeholder groups, such as waste pickers, waste dealers, recyclers and
recycling unit workers play significant roles in the overall scheme of things.

Three municipal bodies – the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC)
and the Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), are responsible for solid waste management in Delhi. MCD alone manage
almost 95 % of the total area of the city. The above authorities are supported by a number of other agencies. The Delhi
Development Authority (DDA) is responsible for siting and allotment of land to MCD for sanitary land filling. Delhi
Energy Development Agency (DEDA) under

Delhi Administration (DA) is responsible for solid waste utilization projects aiming at bio- gas or energy generation
in consultation with the Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (DNES), and Ministry of Environment and
Forests (MoEF), Government of India. The Department of Flood Control of Delhi Administration looks after the
supply of soil to be used as cover for sanitary landfills by the MCD.

Apart from the above public agencies there are other important agents who play their part in the overall scheme of
solid waste management in the city. They are private sweepers and garbage collectors employed by the people for
cleaning privately owned premises, waste pickers, waste dealers and recycling industries, which consume recyclable
waste to produce recycled products.

8.1 Municipal Solid Waste overview

Waste Generation
Agency Area (Sq. Km) Population (Million) Landfill(MT/Day) Composting(MT/Day)
(MT/Day)

MCD 1399 13.8 7000 5500-6000 350-400

NDMC 42.8 4.5 250 170 80

Delhi
Cantonment 43 0.13 60 60 0
Board

8.2 Sanitary Land Fill Sites

8.2.1Existing Sanitary Land Fill Sites[1] :

 Ghazipur (70Acres),
 Okhla (56Acres),
 Bhlasawa (40Acres)

8.2.2Proposed sites:

 Jaitpur (26 Acres)

 Bawana (150 Acres

Waste to Energy In Delhi

Waste-to-energy (WtE) or energy-from-waste (EfW) is the process of creating energy in the form
of electricity or heat from the incineration of waste source. WtE is a form of energy recovery. Most WtE processes
produce electricity directly through combustion, or produce a combustible fuel commodity, such
as methane, methanol, ethanol or synthetic fuels

Waste to energy Incineration is where typically unsorted waste is burnt at high temperatures to reduce its volume
and to produce heat and electricity. Plants have traditionally wasted this heat by exhausting it to the atmosphere. A
purpose built Energy from Waste (EfW) plant is designed to provide usable electric heat and energy, unlike a
conventional incinerator, which is designed primarily to reduce the volume of waste.

If the goal is greenhouse gas reduction, then waste-to-energy is the option for waste disposal. When greenhouse gases
(GHG) such as methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are released into the earth’s atmosphere, they trap infrared
radiation from sunlight. This is stored as heat in the atmosphere and can be tied to the increase in the earth’s average
temperature, causing what is known as global warming or climate change. Waste to Energy offsets greenhouse gases
to combat climate change. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for every ton of municipal
solid waste processed at a Waste to Energy facility, the release of approximately one ton of carbon dioxide equivalent
emissions into the atmosphere is prevented due to the avoidance of methane generation at landfills, the offset of
greenhouse gases from fossil fuel electrical production, and the recovery of metals.
 Waste to Energy Delhi

Timarpur Okhla Municipal Solid Waste Management project is the first commercial waste-to-energy facility in India
that aims to convert one-third of the Delhi garbage into the much-needed electricity, enough to serving 6 lakh homes.

The project is CDM is registered with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for
earning carbon credits.

The project is the first and largest integrated waste management project ever being set up in the country, aiming for a
sustainable solution (Zero Waste Concept) taking MSW through an environmentally friendly process to generate clean
and renewable energy from MSW.

Under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism program, waste to energy is recognized as a source of
greenhouse gas credits. The Okhla Waste to Energy facility has been registered under the UNFCC program.

Salient Features of Timarpur Okhla Waste to Energy Project

 Timarpur Okhla Integrated Waste processing facility offers a safe, technologically advanced means of waste disposal
while also generating clean, renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas and in particular methane gas emissions
and supporting recycling through the recovery of metals and other recyclable materials;
 The Okhla Waste to Energy (WtE) project is India’s first large scale Waste-to-Energy facility that aims to disposes
and process 1/3rd of the Delhi garbage and convert into the much-needed Clean Renewable Energy, enough to
serving 6 lakh homes. .
 First and largest integrated waste management project ever being set up in the country, aiming for a sustainable
solution (Zero Waste Concept) taking Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) through an environmentally friendly
combustion process to generate clean and renewable energy
 Sustainable solution to waste management problems
 Source of clean renewable energy
 Global climate benefits
 Full compliance with Emission standards (“100% safe”)
 Comprehensive Air Pollution Control equipment (“filters”)

Waste characterization data

The local economy impacts on waste composition, as high-income groups use more packaged products, resulting in
higher volumes of plastics, paper, glass, metals and textiles. Changes in waste composition can have a significant
impact on waste management practices [9]. MSW may also contain hazardous wastes such as pesticides, paints, used
medicine and batteries. Compostable organics include fruits, vegetables and food waste. Healthcare waste contains
disposable syringes, sanitary materials and blood containing textiles and is governed by the Biomedical Waste
(Management and Handling) Rules 1998 and the Amended Rules, 2003, and should not be mixed with MSW [5,15].
The average composition of MSW produced by Indian cities is approximately 41 wt.% organic, approximately 40
wt.% inert, with approximately 19 wt.% potentially recyclable materials, as shown in table 4 [16]. Most organic waste
is generated from households, and inert waste is generated from construction, demolition and road sweeping. Waste
samples collected from Delhi, Ahmadabad and Bangalore indicate that MSW composition varies between cities
Key waste management legislations in India

The MoEF issued MSW (Management and Handling) Rules 2000 to ensure proper waste management in India and
new updated draft rules have recently been published [4]. Municipal authorities are responsible for implementing these
rules and developing infrastructure for collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of
MSW. Chandigarh is the first city to develop SWM in a planned way and has improved waste management compared
with other Indian cities [22].

3.2. Role of the informal sector in waste materials reuse and recycling

The informal sector has a very important role in India and this must be integrated into formal SWM systems [15,21].
The informal sector is characterized by small-scale, labour-intensive, largely unregulated and unregistered low-
technology manufacturing or provision of materials and services [23]. Waste pickers collect household or
commercial/industrial waste and many hundreds of thousands of waste pickers in India depend on waste for an income,
despite the associated health and social issues. Pickers extract potential value from waste bins, trucks, streets,
waterways and dumpsites. Some work in recycling plants owned by cooperatives or waste picker associations. Waste
picking is often the only source of income for families, providing a livelihood for significant numbers of urban poor
and usable materials to other enterprises. Waste pickers in Pune collect organic waste for composting and biogas
generation. Waste pickers also make a significant contribution by keeping cities clean.

A recent study of six Indian cities found that waste pickers recovered approximately 20% of waste, with 80 000 people
involved in recycling approximately three million tonnes. It is estimated that every tonne of recyclable material
collected saved the ULB approximately INR 24 500 per annum and avoided the emission of 721 kg CO 2 per annum
[21].

3.3. Waste collection and transport

Waste collection, storage and transport are essential elements of any SWM system and can be major challenges in
cities. Waste collection is the responsibility of the municipal corporations in India, and bins are normally provided for
biodegradable and inert waste [24–26]. Mixed biodegradable and inert waste is often dumped, with open burning a
common practice. Improvements to waste collection and transport infrastructure in India will create jobs, improve
public health and increase tourism [27]. Local bodies spend around Rs. 500–1000 per tonne on SWM with 70% of
this amount spent on collection and 20% spent on transport.

3.4. Waste disposal

SWM disposal is at a critical stage of development in India. There is a need to develop facilities to treat and dispose
of increasing amounts of MSW [28]. More than 90% of waste in India is believed to be dumped in an unsatisfactory
manner. It is estimated that approximately 1400 km2 was occupied by waste dumps in 1997 and this is expected to
increase in the future, as shown in figur

Properly engineered waste disposal protects public health and preserves key environmental resources such as ground
water, surface water, soil fertility and air quality. Indian cities with containment landfill sites include Mumbai,
Kolkata, Chennai, Nashik, Vadodara, Jamshedpur, Allahabad, Amritsar, Rajkot, Shimla, Thiruvananthapuram and
Dehradun [13]. Table 6 shows treatment facilities available in different states in India and table 7 has information on
landfills associated with different cities.