NEW DELHI: Raising serious concerns over the untreated solid waste, the Supreme Court on Friday instructed the Centre to convene a meeting to find a solution to the menace and also warned the Municipal Corporation of Delhi of a possible public health emergency if the issue is not addressed on priority.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih noted that there appears to be no effective solution until at least 2027 for managing the 11,000 tonnes of solid waste produced daily in Delhi.
The court underscored the potential for a “public health crisis” if immediate action is not taken.
“Going by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) affidavit and timelines therein, there are no possibilities of adequate facilities in Delhi till 2027 to treat 11,000 tonnes of solid waste in Delhi. No guesswork is needed that by then solid waste generated will multiply. It is a sorry state of affairs in the capital city and can lead to a public health emergency,” the court stated.
It directed the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to meet with the Delhi government and MCD, including its commissioner, to discuss necessary steps to prevent an emergency. The SC also urged the Delhi government to consider recent proposals regarding funding and permits for solid waste management plants, stressing that without these, the MCD cannot comply with the rules.
In May, the SC expressed its shock at the worsening untreated solid waste levels in Delhi-NCR and slammed the authorities’ indifference to it.