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Delhi faces 4,241 TPD waste processing shortfall.
Srikakulam biomedical plant exceeds PM, efficiency norms.
Anakapalli mines operated legally but emit excess dust; APPCB issues notices.
While 11,852 tonnes of waste is generated daily in Delhi, 7,611 tonnes (64.2 per cent) are processed per day, leaving about 4,241 tonnes per day (TPD) (35.8 per cent) to be disposed of at dumpsites (Bhalswa and Ghazipur).
The city's processing capacity is 8,173 TPD. This was stated in the reply filed by the Central Pollution Control Board to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on December 23, 2025.
Additional processing capacity has been envisaged with an additional 7,750 TPD (during 2025 to 2028) to bridge the gap in processing of waste and to meet the future requirements in Delhi.
The CPCB report stressed that the response from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is important to adjudicate the matter, since the implementation of the provisions of the SWM Rules, 2016, including infrastructure development for collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing and disposal of municipal solid waste is their collective mandated responsibility under the SWM Rules, 2016.
The matter related to the garbage problem in southeast Delhi, especially in places like Shaheen Bagh and Sarita Vihar, where it was alleged that uncollected garbage piles up for many days and causes bad smell. The State Pollution Control Boards / Pollution Control Committees constituted under the Water and Air Act are empowered to implement and enforce the provisions of the acts within their respective territorial jurisdictions.
The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 have been notified by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for safe and scientific management of solid waste in the country.
As per Rule 11 (1) of the SWM Rules 2016, in this case, the NCT of Delhi, Urban Development Department should ensure implementation of provisions of the rules by concerned local authorities of Delhi.
In addition, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is entrusted with the primary responsibility of collection, segregation, transportation, storage and treatment of municipal solid waste, maintenance and operation of the solid waste processing sites and dumpsites in accordance with provisions of these rules. The rules must be enforced through concerned SPCB / PCC, which, in this case, is DPCC.
The collector and district magistrate of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh filed its report on December 23, 2025 regarding the operation of a common biomedical waste treatment facility (CBWTF) named Rainbow Industries at Patha Kunkam village, Laveru mandal.
The joint committee constituted on the orders of NGT inspected the CBWTF on July 2, 2025 and submitted a joint inspection report on August 21, 2025.
The CBWTF is collecting and disposing 792.89 kg per day of segregated bio-medical waste from the health care facilities, with a total bed strength of 13,274 beds including both bedded and non-bedded healthcare facilities (HCF) located within 150 km radius in the districts of Srikakulam, Parvathi Puram-Manyam and Vijayanagaram which is within the authorised / installed capacity.
CBWTF has provision for storage of untreated biomedical waste in the incinerator area. However, a dedicated room for storage of color-coded bio medical waste is not provided. All the waste is segregated and stored in the same area.
The results of source emission monitoring carried out at the stack attached to the incinerator showed that parameters such as nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen chloride and mercury are within the prescribed emission standards. Particulate matter (PM) concentration exceeds the permissible limit, with a recorded value of 65 mg / Nm3 against the standard of 50 mg / Nm3.
The combustion efficiency is below the required standard, recorded at 98.5 per cent against the stipulated 99 per cent. An average of 19.04 kg / day ash generated from the incinerators, along with residue from flue gas cleaning and ETP sludge are disposed of in the TSDF facility operated by Coastal Waste Management, Parawada, through Andhra pradesh Environmental Management Corporation Limited (APEMCL).
The analysis results of incineration ash indicate that loss of ignition on a dry basis is exceeding the prescribed limit, recorded at 19.97 per cent against the standard of 5 per cent and the percentage of organic carbon is also above the acceptable limit, recorded at 3.72 per cent against the standard of 3 per cent.
The joint committee recommended that CBWTF should ensure concentration of PM, dioxins and furans in the source emissions and combustion efficiency in incinerator comply with the prescribed standards. The APPCB has taken action on the CBWTF for the non-compliances observed from 2014 to 2024.
All the mines and stone crushers are operating with valid consent to operate (CTO) in Marturu, Makavaram and Rebaka villages of Anakapalli mandal, Andhra Pradesh. This was stated in the report filed by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) on December 20, 2025.
The report noted that there are 17 stone crushers and 19 mines in the three villages. All the mines and stone crushers are operating with valid CTOs.
APPCB is closely monitoring the mines and stone crushers for strict compliance. It has also conducted monitoring at individual stone crushers and the values of suspended particulate matter (SPM) are exceeding the SPCB standards. Notices have been issued to the stone crushers.
APPCB conducted ambient air quality monitoring at Marturu on January 31, 2025 to February 1, 2025 and the PM10 value was within the prescribed standards. APPCB is closely monitoring the stone crushers and mining units for strict compliance.
If any complaint is received against the units, APPCB would review them for strict compliance and issue directions for rectification. The Department of Mines & Geology is the prescribed authority for mining and blasting activities. Crop loss and compensation does not come under the purview of APPCB.
Further, as per the records of the regional office, Visakhapatnam, all the mining units are operating with valid environmental clearance, stated the APPCB report.