The Delhi High Court has summoned the Vice-Chairman of Delhi Development Authority on a petition filed against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Government alleging that rising garbage heaps and scarcity of landfill areas are affecting ground water quality, making it poisonous. During the hearing, the MCD has contended that the DDA has failed to provide enough land for the garbage dumping ground in the Capital.

The court, headed by Justice GS Sistani, has asked SK Srivastava, Vice-Chairman of Delhi Development Authority along with Commissioners of all MCDs and Secretary of Urban Development to appear in court on the next hearing scheduled for May 14.

In the meanwhile, the Delhi Government, MCD and DDA have been directed to conduct a meeting and work together on the solution and file a joint report on the matter. The meeting is to be headed by Chief Secretary of Delhi Government.

The MCD had earlier filed an application in the Supreme Court against the DDA complaining about the scarcity of landfill sites, after which the apex court transferred the High Court to identify dumping grounds for the disposal of municipal solid waste.

“Under the Master Plan 2021, the DDA had to provide the MCD with 1500 acres of land for the purpose of dumping waste but we have 150 acres only. The DDA needs to be pressurised to provide the land immediately,” said Sumeet Pushkarna, Counsel for MCD.

The high court had previously given direction to identify the dumping grounds. Some of the landfill sites identified are Ghazipur east and Ghummanhera (south-west Delhi) among others which have been objected to by the nearby residents. With huge heaps of garbage dumped everyday, these sites have become an environmental threat. The ones already in the radar are Bhalswa and Okhla with 30-40 metre tall garbage heaps.