Waste Management Takes Centre Stage at MCD Meeting

Waste management and the implementation of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, took centre stage at a Special Committee meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday.

The meeting, held at the MCD Civic Centre, focused on ways to improve the implementation of the new waste management guidelines and strengthen monitoring mechanisms across Delhi.

During the meeting, several councillors from different wards raised concerns about gaps in the implementation of waste segregation and disposal at the source level. They said that although guidelines and rules are in place, their effectiveness depends largely on proper implementation on the ground.

Councillors also called for stricter monitoring of waste management practices in their respective wards. They emphasised the need to ensure that waste is properly segregated and handled before it reaches collection and disposal facilities.

Chief Engineer Ajay Aggarwal presented the key provisions of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, during the meeting. The presentation was followed by discussions on the challenges faced by the civic body in implementing the rules across different parts of the city.

Waste generation remains a major challenge

Delhi generates approximately 13,500 tonnes of waste every day, according to the information presented at the meeting. Around 40 per cent of this waste is wet waste.

However, the MCD currently processes only around 60 per cent of the waste generated in the city. The gap between the amount of waste generated and the amount processed remains one of the major challenges for the civic body.

To address the issue, the MCD is constructing five decentralised fresh waste processing plants. Together, these facilities will have a processing capacity of around 6,000 tonnes.

According to officials, the plants are expected to become operational by December or by the middle of January. Once they are functional, the corporation expects that fresh waste will no longer be sent to landfills after January.

Focus on source-level segregation

Source-level segregation was another important issue discussed during the meeting. Councillors pointed out that effective waste management begins with separating different types of waste where it is generated.

They said that better compliance with segregation requirements would help improve the efficiency of waste collection, transportation and processing.

The discussions also highlighted the need for stronger implementation of the SWM guidelines at the ward level. Councillors from different areas said that the rules need to be backed by regular monitoring to ensure compliance.

Call for stricter penalties

Several councillors also sought stricter penalties for violations of waste management rules. They argued that merely having guidelines would not be sufficient unless violations were identified and appropriate action was taken.

The demand for tighter enforcement comes as the MCD works to improve waste processing capacity and reduce the amount of fresh waste reaching landfill sites.

The corporation's planned decentralised processing plants are expected to play an important role in addressing the processing gap. With a combined capacity of 6,000 tonnes, the five facilities are intended to increase the city's ability to process fresh waste closer to where it is generated.

The MCD meeting therefore focused on both infrastructure and implementation. While additional processing facilities are being developed, councillors stressed that better segregation, monitoring and enforcement would also be necessary to improve Delhi's overall waste management system.

The discussions at the Special Committee meeting come amid the corporation's efforts to implement the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, and improve waste handling across the city.