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NGT directs Delhi authorities to fast-track desilting of drains ahead of the 2026 monsoon after reviewing reports from MCD, NDMC and DDA
MCD reports record silt removal in 2025, but tribunal flags the need for sustained action due to year-round illegal dumping
Gurugram civic body tells NGT no landfill fires have occurred at Bandhwari since April 2025, citing new preventive measures
NGT’s eastern bench pulls up Assam authorities for incomplete disclosures in an illegal sand mining case in the Kaldiya river
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), chaired by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, on December 11, 2025 directed that pending desilting work in Delhi must be expedited to ensure completion before the onset of the next monsoon.
The tribunal examined responses filed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on the status of desilting work under their respective jurisdictions. According to the action taken report filed by the MCD on September 9, 2025, the total length of drains in Delhi is 3,722.8 kilometres. Of this, 530.83 km are maintained by the MCD, while the remaining drains fall under the Public Works Department, the NDMC and other agencies.
The MCD had set a target of removing 126,474.27 metric tonnes (MT) of silt from drains with a depth of four feet and above between January 1 and June 30, 2025. Data received from all 12 MCD zones showed that 37,281.94 MT of silt were removed between January 1 and March 31, 2025, followed by 133,337.96 MT between April 1 and June 30, 2025. In total, 170,619.89 MT of silt were removed during this period, compared with 78,000 MT during the same period in 2024.
The MCD stated that silt and garbage removal is an ongoing process due to illegal dumping, with 14,674.19 MT of silt removed between July 1 and August 19, 2025.
The corporation also maintains 12,892 drains with a depth of less than four feet. In areas under the MCD, the total drain length is 6,069.88 km. These drains are cleaned throughout the year. For the period from January 1 to June 30, 2025, the silt removal target was 40,086 MT, against which 38,961.59 MT were removed. During the same period in 2024, 30,500 MT of silt had been removed.
The NGT also reviewed the report filed by the NDMC on December 10, 2025. The report stated that the total length of drains in the NDMC area is 335 km and that desilting is carried out regularly throughout the year. Between January and August 2025, 2,436.88 MT of silt were removed and disposed of at the Okhla sanitary landfill facility. Drains under the NDMC account for about nine per cent of the total drains in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
In its response dated December 9, 2025, the DDA stated that desilting had been completed in drains under its jurisdiction. Directions were issued by the engineer member, Secretariat, on June 3, 2025 to ensure preparedness for the monsoon, including completion of desilting in all zones by June 15, 2025. Chief engineers and superintending engineers were directed to inspect sites, ensure progress, establish central and zonal flood control rooms, and ensure safe removal of extracted silt.
The DDA also identified waterlogging-prone locations for priority desilting. Of the 194 vulnerable waterlogging points identified by Delhi Traffic Police in 2024, 15 fall under the DDA’s jurisdiction. The authority stated that no major waterlogging issues were reported during the period.
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram informed the NGT on December 15, 2025 that no fire incidents have been reported at the Bandhwari sanitary landfill since April 2025.
The report explained that landfill fires commonly occur due to increased oxygen levels during bio-remediation, which enhances bacterial activity and raises temperatures through aerobic decomposition. This leads to the formation of hotspots where methane accumulates, increasing the risk of fire.
In compliance with guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), the corporation has implemented several preventive measures.
These include identifying hotspots using portable methane gas detectors. Four such detectors have been deployed at the Bandhwari landfill. Once identified, hotspots are excavated using JCBs and excavators to release trapped methane and reduce fire risk. Fire tenders are also deployed during peak summer months.
The corporation has adopted waste compaction techniques to minimise voids where methane can accumulate. Additionally, leachate generated at the site is sprinkled over waste through tankers and pipelines to regulate temperature during summer months, reducing fire risk while also utilising the leachate.
Details of firefighting equipment and installations at the landfill site were also submitted in the report.
The NGT’s eastern bench, on December 11, 2025, expressed dissatisfaction with the information submitted by the District Commissioner, Bajali, in a case concerning illegal sand mining in the Kaldiya river at Chaibari village in Assam’s Bajali district.
The NGT’s eastern bench, on December 11, 2025, expressed dissatisfaction with the information submitted by the District Commissioner, Bajali, in a case concerning illegal sand mining in the Kaldiya river at Chaibari village in Assam’s Bajali district.
The tribunal noted that the affidavit did not include details of any FIR, nor were copies of the FIR or charge sheet enclosed, despite references to their filing. The quantity of illegally extracted minerals was not specified, and there was no information on penalties imposed for illegal mining.
The District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Bajali, informed the tribunal about steps taken to prevent illegal mining and assured further action. During the hearing, the District Magistrate stated that penalties had been imposed on violators, but had not yet been recovered.
The Assam Pollution Control Board (ASPCB) submitted that the required information had not been provided to it and stated that it would file an action taken report. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on February 23, 2026.