On February 24, 2025, the Supreme Court emphasized that waste segregation at the source is crucial for environmental health. The court highlighted that smart city projects in the National Capital Region (NCR) cannot succeed without proper waste segregation and compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.

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• Supreme Court stresses the need for waste segregation at the source for environmental health.
• NCR States of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan were questioned about waste segregation practices in smart city projects.
• The court noted that waste-to-energy projects would fail without proper segregation, leading to more pollution.
• The NCR registered a low percentage of waste segregation, with bio-waste often mixed with plastic in households.
• Justice Oka agreed that waste-to-energy projects could worsen pollution without segregation.
• The NCR States were ordered to submit affidavits on their compliance with the 2016 Solid Waste Management Rules by March-end.
• The court directed States to present comprehensive waste management plans, including timelines and responsible agencies.
• The authorities were asked to outline best practices for solid waste management.
• The Central Pollution Control Board was tasked with submitting a report on the impact of waste-to-energy projects on the environment.
• Previous hearings highlighted Delhi’s solid waste management issues, with daily generation exceeding 11,000 metric tonnes while processing capacity was only 8,073 metric tonnes.