Order of the Supreme Court of India regarding solid waste management in Delhi, 16/07/2018
Order of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of In Re: T. N. Godavarman Thirumulpad Vs Union of India & Others dated 16/07/2018 regarding solid waste management in Delhi.
Report of the Central Empowered Committee has been filed before the Court by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. Some of the observations and recommendations given by the CEC Report are the following:
1. The present height of landfill at Tehkhand, Okhla is 160 feet against the allowable height of 90 feet, that this landfill has exhausted its capacity and is now overburdened, that scientific capping/closure of existing landfill site at Okhla is required to be undertaken urgently
2. On the 47.346 acres of land in Morphological Ridge area following projects should be permitted to be set up
a) Solid Waste Management/Processing facility in the shape of Waste to Energy Plant, and
b) Engineered landfill at Tehkhand, Okhla subject to certain conditions like the User Agency shall maintain a green belt of 30 m all along the periphery of the proposed site which shall act as a buffer between the Solid Waste Management facility as well as Engineered Landfill and the outer boundary. That for future landfill sites the concerned agencies shall not be allowed to be located in Delhi Ridge area/Ridge Forest/Morphological Ridge area. It must necessary be located outside Delhi in National Capital Region.
3. CEC report also recommends the scientific capping/closure of existing SLF at Okhla to be undertaken in a time bound manner and the site to be developed into a green zone.