The move comes after a petition from an NGO, SamaajSewaSamiti, which claimed that the current landfill site in Bakarganj had exhausted its capacity, thus posing a risk for residents. The plea added that the waste from the landfill site was contaminating groundwater and also adding to the air pollution.

"The solid waste management plant has been shut for the last two years. Since then, the landfill site has been put to use with the BMC staff dumping the city's garbage there. But now its crossed its capacity and is a danger to the people around and also the environment. The site needs to be shifted to a new location," said Nadeem Shamsi, convenor of the NGO that filed the petition.

"The matter will now be heard on February 28, 2017. The NGT bench directed the authorities to reply to the petition considering there was a serious lapse in the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rule," added advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, who is representing the petitioner.

BMC, on its part, said that most of its officials were busy with election duties, thus delaying the shifting of the landfill site.

"The approval for shifting the dumping ground to a new location has been pending with the district administration. Officials are busy with election duty. Once the elections are done with, we will have a meeting with the district authorities to decide the further course of action," said UttamVerma, environmental engineer at the corporation.

Another resident of the city, Nadeem Iqbal had earlier moved the NGT regarding the same issue, following which, the authorities had earmarked a new land at Babiya village for disposal of municipal solid waste. The officials at Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) had also given NOC for the new site, but the shift is still on hold.