The Supreme Court has firmly directed the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to appoint senior nodal officers. These officers will be responsible for making sure that solid waste is fully segregated and collected across the National Capital Region (NCR) by December 31, 2025.
"As achieving the target is of immense importance, we direct the states... to designate high-ranking nodal officers," the Court stated.
This directive came during the hearing of the MC Mehta vs Union of India case (WP (C) 13029/1985), a long-standing matter concerning pollution control in Delhi NCR. The bench, comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, stressed the urgent need for action. The Court agreed with amicus curiae Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh, who had highlighted the importance of meeting strict deadlines.
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The Court noted that while MCD had already set a timeline for 100% waste collection, other states had not done so. Therefore, the Court ordered those states to also define deadlines. Additionally, all appointed nodal officers must submit quarterly compliance reports starting from September 1, 2025. These reports will be reviewed by the Supreme Court regularly.
"The same nodal officers can also supervise the activity of achieving 100% collection of solid waste,” the Court directed.
In view of the rising urban development in the NCR, the Court emphasized that the amount of solid waste is expected to grow significantly over the next 25 years. Hence, each NCR state must provide realistic projections and file affidavits about their preparedness by September 1, 2025.
“Considering large scale constructions/development in NCR... all NCR States must make realistic assessments,” the Court said.
To ensure proper implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, the Court suggested imposing penalties for non-compliance. The Court also instructed the states and MCD to run massive awareness campaigns, educating people about the rules and available complaint systems.
“Awareness campaigns must highlight grievance redressal mechanisms for citizens,” the Court directed.
The Court also reviewed MCD's earlier compliance, including its 8 April 2025 direction to spread awareness about Rule 4, which requires waste segregation and bans illegal dumping. The Court insisted that the MCD 311 app should be widely promoted to help citizens report violations.
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During the proceedings, the Greater Noida Development Authority informed the Court that they aim to eliminate all legacy waste by August 2025, as mentioned in their affidavit dated 4 April 2025.
“We hope and trust that this target will be achieved by the authority,” the Court remarked.
Lastly, the amicus curiae proposed reducing GST on recycled goods to promote recycling of construction and dust waste. The Court directed the Union of India to forward this suggestion to the concerned authority.
“We recommend that this activity needs to be incentivised which will help in the cause of the environment,” the Court added.
These fresh directions are part of the Court’s consistent effort to enforce environmental responsibility and effective waste management across NCR.
Case no. – WP (C) 13029/1985
Case Title – MC Mehta v. Union of India
