Stench and eyesore define Delhi dhalaos

Delhi generates 11,328 tonnes of waste every day, with 4,000 tonnes ending up at oversaturated landfills. The city has a 27.5% gap between the waste it produces and processes; and so, cannot imagine a life without dhalaos

- Paras Singh and Jasjeev Gandhiok

For decades, Delhi's neighbourhood garbage dumps, or dhalaos, have been at the centre of a public tug of war between residents and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

These brick-lined enclosures, once designed as primary collection points for household waste, are now seen as obsolete -- raising a stink and proving incompatible with the city’s vision of a cleaner, modern capital.

‘The dhalao, typically a three-walled open structure where sanitation workers tipped in daily waste before loading it onto larger trucks, was a fixture in nearly every colony. But over time, the system came to symbolise neglect: overflowing waste, no segregation, and public health hazards.

‘As Delhi grew into a metropolis producing over 11,000 tonnes of waste every day, the dhalao system cracked under pressure. In its place, officials promised a new model based on door-to-door collection, mechanised compactors, and decentralised processing facilities.

Why and how they were to be phased out

The Delhi government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) decided nearly a decade ago to eliminate dhalaos entirely. The aim was twofold: reduce the multiple handling of waste that led to spillage and stench, and align with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which stress segregation at source and direct transport to processing facilities. Beginning 2016, the city invested in Fixed Compactor Transfer Stations (FCTS) and mobile compactors ~ machines that compress large volumes of waste before transporting it straight to treatment plants or landfills.

The plan was simple - each compactor could replace several dhalaos, cutting down secondary dumping points. By 2022, officials had pledged that every dhalao would be shut. The final deadline was extended to December 2024.