Delhi faces 4,200 tonne daily waste-processing gap

Delhi generates nearly 11,862 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day, while the processing capacity is 7,641 tonnes per day, leaving a significant waste-processing gap of around 4,200 tonnes, according to the Delhi Economic Survey 2025-26, which was presented on Monday.

The total waste generated daily, around 11,500 tonnes, comes from areas under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), while 300 tonnes are generated in NDMC areas and 62 tonnes in the Delhi Cantonment Board. A bulk of it continues to strain the city’s processing capacity and landfill infrastructure, it said further.

The survey stated that waste collection has reached 100 per cent across all three civic bodies, indicating that almost all garbage generated in the city is being lifted on a daily basis. On the processing front, Delhi currently has a total installed capacity of 7,641 tonnes per day (TPD), which is about 64.4 per cent of the waste generated. Actual processing stands slightly lower at 7,460.3 tonnes per day, or 62.9 per cent, the survey said. However, segregation at the source remains uneven. While NDMC areas have achieved about 92 per cent segregation and cantonment areas report up to 90 per cent in civil pockets, MCD areas average only about 59 per cent, with targets set to reach full segregation by January 2027.

The survey highlighted a significant gap: a waste-processing capacity shortfall of over 4,200 tonnes per day and an actual processing gap of around 4,401 tonnes per day.

Highlighting the proposed waste disposal and processing facilities, the Economic Survey 2025-26 said that Delhi plans to boost its waste processing capacity with new and expanded waste-to-energy facilities, adding 7,750 tonnes per day capacity to its waste disposal and processing capacity in the next few years. A 3,000 TPD plant is proposed at Narela-Bawana (by December 2027), and a 2,000 TPD facility at Ghazipur (by December 2028).

Existing plants at Okhla and Tehkhand will be expanded by 1,000 TPD each, taking their capacities to 2,950 TPD and 3,000 TPD, respectively, by 2027.

According to the survey, a portion of the waste is treated through decentralised methods, including 257 compost pits handling about 558 tonnes per day and material recovery facilities recycling around 293 tonnes daily. The city also relies heavily on waste-to-energy infrastructure, with four plants located at Okhla, Ghazipur, Bawana and Tehkhand, together having a capacity of 6,550 tonnes per day and generating about 84 MW of power, the survey stated.

The survey has suggested an increase in the number of construction and demolition waste collection sites. MCD, NDMC and DCB already have 106, 25 and 1 Collection Points, respectively, where Malba/Debris in small quantities can be dumped by the general public. MCD has identified and is developing 19 new Malba Sites.

Despite these measures, a substantial volume of unprocessed waste continues to be dumped at landfill sites, underlining the pressure on existing infrastructure and the need for expansion in processing capacity, the survey highlighted.

The survey noted that solid waste management remains the responsibility of three local bodies in Delhi, with efforts underway to improve segregation, expand processing facilities and reduce landfill dependence in the coming years.