Report by Court Commissioner on Ghazipur landfill and waste to energy plant at the landfill, 29/03/2025
Report by Court Commissioner in OA No 481 of 2024 News item titled "Major fire erupts at Delhi's Ghazipur landfill site smoke engulfs region" appearing in the Hindustan Times, April 21, 2024. The report was dated March 29, 2025. The report was in compliance of NGT order, March 7, 2025. The report contained observations from the site visit at Ghazipur landfill and waste to energy plant at Ghazipur landfill.
The Ghazipur landfill site, established in 1984, was originally a low-lying area designated for solid waste disposal. Over the decades, it has expanded into a 70-acre dumpsite, serving as the primary waste disposal site for eastern Delhi. Initially, the landfill had a maximum permitted height of 40 meters, but due to continuous waste accumulation, it has now exceeded to 60 meters, posing severe environmental and structural risks.
The landfill is surrounded by critical infrastructure, including government-regulated markets such as the poultry (murga) mandi, fish mandi, livestock mandi, dairy, and vegetable mandi, along with a slaughterhouse and a Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant. Adding to its environmental concerns, the site is located within a densely populated area, with the Hindon River Canal and Drain No.1 running directly behind it. This proximity to water bodies increases the risk of leachate contamination, further exacerbating pollution in the region. The landfill's excessive waste accumulation has led to severe air, water, and soil pollution, posing risks to public health and nearby ecosystems.
The inspection of the Ghazipur landfill was conducted on March 26, 2025. MCD official stated that in 2019, the total waste at the site was 100 lakh MT, which has now reduced to 85 lakh MT. Drains have been created to create a passage for leachate, especially during high flow seasons like monsoon and later diverted to the tank. The Court Commissioner noted that the leachate drain was partially tapped.
Heaps of waste was found on the landfill and vertical methane vents could be seen at few places at the landfill site. "It is not collected but simply let out in the atmosphere". Cracks have developed on top of the landfill site.
Two trommels were in operation on the canal side of the site, where no boundary wall was present. Ongoing bio mining of waste at the land claimed to be reclaimed was seen. According to MCD, the area in question is claimed to have 5 acres of land reclaimed from the landfill site. However, based on both a closer inspection and an aerial view, the Court Commissioner stated "that no land has been fully reclaimed at this location". As seen in the images, the area remains under bio-mining, with two trommels still in operation.
Leachate/ livestock drain discharging into drain number 1 and eventually into river Yamuna. There is no boundary wall towards the canal side.
These were some of the observations from the report.