New Delhi, October 14, 2026: The civic body says dumping resumed due to urgent drain-cleaning work ahead of the monsoon. A new processing facility is expected to become operational in November 2026.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that more than 59,000 metric tonnes of silt have been dumped at the Singhola site in north Delhi over the past year, despite the site being cleared earlier.
In an affidavit filed on October 13, the civic body said it had resumed dumping silt at the site because of urgent drain-cleaning operations ahead of the monsoon. The fresh accumulation has once again raised concerns over waste management at a site that had already undergone a major clearance exercise.
Why Did Dumping Resume?
The MCD told the tribunal that “owing to the urgency of pre-monsoon desilting operations, MCD had to resume the deposition of silt at the Singhola site.”
However, the civic body clarified that “only the silt extracted from drains during annual drain desilting operations has been dumped at the Singhola site.” According to the affidavit, approximately 59,173.9 metric tonnes of silt have been deposited there since July 2025.
New Facility To Process Waste
To prevent fresh waste mounds from forming, the MCD has initiated the process of setting up a facility capable of processing 700 tonnes of waste and silt per day. The facility is expected to become operational in November 2026.
According to the civic body, the accumulated silt will be removed once the facility starts functioning. However, the fresh dumping highlights the challenge of keeping previously cleared waste sites free of new deposits.
NGT Steps In Over Waste Mounds
The NGT had taken suo motu cognisance of a Hindustan Times report titled New Waste Mounds Creep Up on Capital, published on November 4, 2024. The report highlighted poor waste management practices that had led to the formation of two waste mounds at Singhola and Narela.
These sites are in addition to Delhi’s three major landfill sites at Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla. During an earlier hearing, the tribunal directed the MCD to disclose the quantity of waste dumped again at Singhola, following which the civic body submitted its affidavit.
How Singhola Became A Dumping Site
Silt dumping at the 7.2-acre Singhola site began in 2017 after a section of the Ghazipur landfill collapsed. The site, located near Singhola Khampur village, was initially meant to serve as a temporary dumping ground for two years.
It was used to dispose of silt removed from drains. By July 2022, approximately nine lakh metric tonnes of silt had accumulated there. MCD officials said the Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD) and Irrigation and Flood Control Department had also deposited drain silt at the site.
Cleared Once, Dumping Starts Again
The MCD subsequently awarded work for bio-mining and disposal of processed material, and the Singhola site was cleared in 2025. However, dumping resumed after the clearance, leading to another accumulation of silt.
The situation raises questions about the long-term effectiveness of waste clearance efforts when fresh material continues to be deposited at the same locations. The proposed processing facility could help address the problem, but its effectiveness will depend on how the accumulated and incoming waste is handled.
How Does Singhola Compare With Other Landfills?
Although the fresh silt accumulation at Singhola is significant, it remains much smaller than the waste still present at Delhi’s older landfill sites, which have been operating for decades.
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For comparison, approximately 15.06 lakh metric tonnes of newer and remaining waste were still present at the Okhla landfill site in August 2026, even after the clearance of historical legacy waste accumulated up to 2025.
The latest affidavit shows that clearing a dumping site is only part of the challenge. Preventing waste from returning remains equally important, particularly as Delhi continues efforts to manage its existing landfill sites.
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