NGT-appointed official recommends third-party audit of Delhi landfill

The NGT's amicus curiae recommends a third-party audit for Ghazipur landfill to assess waste management and fire prevention amid ongoing waste dumping issues.

New Delhi

Fire at the Ghazipur landfill in April 2024. (HT Archive)

The amicus curiae appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in a case related to a major fire that broke out at the Ghazipur landfill in April 2024 has recommended an independent third-party audit to evaluate the reduction in height and volume of legacy waste, methane mitigation and fire-prevention measures undertaken.

In an affidavit on April 6, the amicus, advocate Katyayni, noted that around 1,700 metric tonnes of fresh waste continue 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,” the report read.

In April 2024, the NGT took suo motu cognisance of a media report on the fire, and has been directing for implementation of measures to control landfill fires. Following a submission by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in October last year, detailing bioremediation and waste processing, NGT had asked the amicus to examine it

Referring to the waste ending up at the landfill site, the amicus also pointed out that the Ghazipur waste-to-energy (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 flagged that leachate management at the site appears to be “inadequate”.

“WTE plant at Ghazipur receives around 700 to 1000 MT/Day. The nominal capacity is 1300 MT/day, and operational capacity is 800 to 850 MT/day... It remained non-operational for extended periods spanning April to December 2025. There were repeated shutdowns due to fires in the boiler area and other operational failures... These admissions demolish the contention that the WTE facility meaningfully mitigates waste accumulation at the Ghazipur landfill,” it read.

In an affidavit submitted previously, the MCD detailed leachate flow through kachha drains. “The drain located near gate number 2 was a Pucca drain but with passage of time, the condition has deteriorated. To strengthen/reconstruct the drain the proposal has been moved. There is another drain connected to leachate tank which is nearby fish market,” it had said.

Reacting to this, the court commissioner said the problem has been identified, but a solution is awaited and no definite timeline has been provided by the MCD.