New Delhi: The Supreme Court was on Friday informed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which said by 2026 it will exceed its capacity of processing 11,000 tonnes of solid waste generated daily in the national capital.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih was informed by senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the MCD that in compliance of the court’s order, the civic body was able to clear all the bottlenecks and had started the bidding process for hiring contractors for the management of municipal solid waste. “By 2026, we will not only be able to meet the new waste generated on a daily basis but also be ahead of it by 3,000 tonnes a day. We have started the tender process and in the next two weeks, we will be able to finalise the bids for the purpose,” she submitted. Guruswamy further said that due to the July 26 order of the apex court, the MCD was able to get all necessary clearances and the work had now started.
“The Delhi government has set the limit under which the municipal commissioner can execute the contracts for solid waste management. The proposal was cleared from the office of Delhi Lieutenant Governor and the process has begun. It is a big achievement for the national capital, as the proposal was stuck for decades,” she submitted.
The top court asked Guruswamy to file an affidavit enlisting the steps the civic body took following its July 26 order and scheduled the next hearing on November 25. On July 26, the top court expressed its concern over the poor implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules in the national Capital, observing over 3,000 tonnes of untreated solid waste per day in Delhi could lead to a “public health emergency”.