Jangpura-A dhalao is vital, closure will be ‘unsound’: MCD

MCD said the dhalao is a critical secondary waste collection point serving Jangpura A, Jangpura Extension and Bhogal.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has told the National Green Tribunal that shutting down a dhalao in Jangpura-A would be “counter productive, environmentally unsound, and contrary to the object of the Solid Waste Management Rules”, warning that its closure would severely disrupt waste management and lead to civic issues.

Jangpura-A dhalao is vital, closure will be ‘unsound’: MCD

In a submission filed on February 3, MCD said the dhalao is a critical secondary waste collection point serving Jangpura A, Jangpura Extension and Bhogal. The civic body said three other dhalaos in the area have already been shut down in recent months, making the remaining facility operationally indispensable.

The response was filed in connection with a plea moved last year by a resident of Jangpura A seeking closure of the dhalao, citing persistent littering and health concerns. The applicant alleged that garbage remains scattered in and around the site, attracting stray dogs, cats and monkeys, and posing health risks to residents.

During the hearing, counsel for the applicant referred to photographs annexed with the plea, claiming they showed garbage strewn around the dhalao. He also pointed out that the site is located adjacent to the rear boundary of St Michael’s Church campus, which houses a children’s home for abandoned children, aggravating hygiene and health concerns.

Taking note of these submissions, a bench headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava had earlier sought an explanation from the civic body.

In its reply, MCD said waste collected from the dhalao is transported strictly to authorised facilities, including the waste-to-energy plant at Tehkhand and the sanitary landfill site at Okhla, in line with prescribed waste management protocols. It said sanitation staff are regularly deployed to maintain cleanliness, and relevant deployment orders have been placed on record.

To strengthen compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, MCD said it has installed ten bins of 1,100-litre capacity at the site. “Recent photographs depict cleanliness, orderly storage of waste and proper management at the site,” the submission stated.

Last month, MCD told the tribunal in a separate case that it had shut down a dhalao in west Delhi’s Hari Nagar. In another matter, the civic body was directed in October to shut a dhalao at AIIMS. By February 2025, three dhalaos in Jangpura were also shut following resident complaints.