New Delhi, July 23 (IANS) Out of the seven legacy waste dumpsites identified in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), remediation at four dumpsites has been completed, Minister of State (MoS) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
In a written reply to a query, the MoS added that the seven legacy waste dumpsites identified for remediation in the Delhi-NCR include three in Delhi and one in Gurugram, Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad.
Kirti Vardhan Singh said that for the abatement of pollution from the municipal solid waste and legacy waste, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued a direction on January 27, 2021, under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, mandating all State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) to direct the authorities concerned in the states/Union Territories to take necessary action for biomining and bio remediation of legacy waste dumpsites by following the due procedures.
The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), vide Direction no 91 dated June 3, 2025, also directed the agencies in the NCR for taking appropriate actions for management of legacy waste at sanitary landfill sites and dumpsites, to tackle air pollution through open burning of municipal solid waste (MSW)/open biomass generating Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and other harmful gaseous pollutants (NO2, SO2, CO, Dioxins, Furans, etc.), in the region.
The MoS said that the Central government has notified the Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM) Rules, 2026, in supersession of earlier SWM Rules, 2016, with provisions for proper and effective management of municipal solid waste (MSW), including sanitary landfills. The Rules have come into force with effect from April 1, 2026.
He said as per the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, sanitary landfilling means the final and safe disposal of residual solid waste and inert wastes on land in a facility designed with protective measures against pollution of ground water, surface water and fugitive air dust, wind-blown litter, bad odour, fire hazard, animal menace, bird menace, pests or rodents, greenhouse gas emissions, persistent organic pollutants slope instability and erosion.
The Rules provide for establishment, construction, operation and maintenance of Sanitary Landfill by the local body through eligible agencies.
The Rules, also provide for responsibility of the District Magistrate to ensure operation of Sanitary Landfill as per provisions of the rules.
“The Rules, provide for audit by the State Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committee or a registered environment auditor on the operation of sanitary landfill for environmentally sound disposal of non-recyclable and non-energy recoverable dry waste and inerts as per guidelines prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board,” Kirti Vardhan Singh said.
The Rules, also provides for uploading of the audit report by the State Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committee on the centralised portal, he added.
–IANS
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