NGT directs Delhi civic body to submit plan on clearing Ghazipur landfill

The NGT has ordered Delhi's MCD to provide a time-bound plan to clear the Ghazipur landfill and manage daily waste within four weeks.

New Delhi

The fire at the landfill in April 2024, following which the court took cognisance of legacy waste at the site. (HT Archive)

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to disclose a time-bound action plan, within four weeks, to clear legacy waste at the Ghazipur landfill.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava also sought a plan for treating daily waste that continues to be dumped at the site.

“Learned Court Commissioner has filed the submission to the status report of the Respondent – Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on April 6. Learned counsel for the MCD seeks four weeks’ time to examine the same. Respondent – MCD is also directed to place on record the time bound action plan for clearing the waste dumped in Ghazipur landfill site and for treating the daily waste which is reaching the said landfill site,” said the bench, listing the matter next on July 7, 2026.

In April 2024, the NGT took suo motu cognisance of a media report on a major fire that broke out at the Ghazipur landfill.

On April 6, the NGT-appointed amicus curiae Katyayni recommended an independent third-party audit to evaluate reduction in the height and volume of the Ghazipur landfill, methane mitigation and fire-prevention measures undertaken. In the affidavit, Katyayni noted that around 1,700 metric tonnes of fresh waste continued to be dumped at the Ghazipur landfill site daily.

“Ghazipur sanitary landfill site receives 2400 to 2600 MT of fresh waste every day. Of this, the waste-to-energy (WtE) plant at Ghazipur processes 700 to 1000 MT/Day. Fresh waste dumped at landfill is 1,700 MTD,” she said.

Referring to the waste ending up at the landfill site, the amicus pointed out that the Ghazipur WtE plant remained non-operational for eight months between April and December 2025, leading to an additional 900 MTD of waste being added to the landfill. The report also flagged ”inadequate” leachate management at the site.