Delhi: The national capital has outlined an ambitious roadmap to significantly expand household waste segregation and treatment capacity over the next three years, signalling a shift towards decentralised waste management as mounting landfill pressure and rising urban waste volumes continue to challenge civic infrastructure.
The plan, presented before environmental authorities, combines higher source-level segregation with new processing facilities to improve resource recovery and reduce dependence on landfill disposal. Under the roadmap, Delhi aims to ensure that 90% of households practise waste segregation by the end of 2028. The target represents a substantial jump from the current performance across the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), where segregated collection covers just under two-thirds of households. Interim milestones have also been defined to steadily increase compliance over the next two years, indicating that civic agencies are expected to prioritise behavioural change alongside operational upgrades. The Delhi waste segregation strategy also reflects varying levels of progress across different civic jurisdictions. While areas managed by the New Delhi Municipal Council have already achieved high segregation rates, defence-administered neighbourhoods are working towards universal compliance through phased implementation.
Urban planners say these differences highlight the importance of localised collection systems, public participation and sustained awareness efforts rather than relying solely on infrastructure expansion. Alongside household participation, the capital is strengthening decentralised waste processing. Hundreds of neighbourhoods have already been designated as zero-waste colonies, while a growing number of bulk waste generators including large residential complexes, institutions and commercial establishments have begun processing biodegradable waste within their own premises. Such measures reduce transportation costs, lower emissions from waste movement and ease pressure on centralised treatment facilities. However, Delhi’s biggest challenge remains the mismatch between waste generation and processing capacity. The city currently produces around 12,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day, while existing facilities are capable of treating only a fraction of that volume. To bridge this gap, authorities have proposed creating more than 7,600 tonnes per day of additional treatment capacity by 2028 through a mix of waste-to-energy expansion and bio-CNG facilities.
New large-scale waste-to-energy plants have been proposed in the city’s northern and eastern zones, while existing facilities in other parts of Delhi are expected to undergo capacity enhancement. Dedicated bio-CNG plants are also planned to process organic waste, reflecting a broader effort to divert biodegradable material from landfill sites and convert it into cleaner energy resources. The roadmap extends beyond solid waste. Official submissions indicate that although Delhi’s installed sewage treatment capacity broadly matches the volume of wastewater generated each day, actual treatment remains below potential due to operational inefficiencies. Several sewage treatment plants also continue to fall short of prescribed environmental standards, underlining the need for better utilisation of existing assets rather than capacity creation alone. For a rapidly expanding metropolis, the success of the Delhi waste segregation programme will ultimately depend on consistent household participation, reliable collection systems and timely delivery of new treatment infrastructure. If implemented effectively, the strategy could improve public health, reduce landfill dependence and strengthen the city’s long-term climate resilience.
