Delhi CM orders speedy removal of landfill garbage, reviews cleanliness drive

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday chaired a high-level meeting with senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials to review the city’s waste management and cleanliness initiatives. Expressing dissatisfaction over the slow pace of garbage disposal at landfill sites, she directed immediate acceleration of the process and ordered the MCD to submit daily progress reports on the ongoing mega cleanliness campaign.

The meeting focused on transforming Delhi into a garbage-free and pollution-free Capital. CM Gupta reviewed the status and capacity of waste-to-energy plants at Narela-Bawana, Ghazipur, Okhla and Tehkhand, and stressed that the expansion of the Okhla and Tehkhand plants must be completed at the earliest. She directed all work related to these projects be carried out with full transparency, accountability and within strict timelines.

Taking serious note of the persistent garbage mounds at landfill sites in Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur, CM Gupta instructed the MCD to expedite bio-mining operations and ensure the early removal of all legacy waste. She also called for a comprehensive post-clearance plan to repurpose the reclaimed sites for public use.

The CM also pulled up MCD officials for the sluggish progress of the Mega Cleanliness Campaign, calling for ground-level action rather than symbolic gestures. She directed that no garbage should be allowed to enter city drains and called for enforcement mechanisms to prevent public dumping in unauthorised areas.

Addressing the issue of stray cattle, CM Gupta instructed the MCD to immediately launch a special campaign to manage and relocate them, noting the increasing public inconvenience and safety concerns they pose.

“Making Delhi clean, beautiful, and well-organised is one of the government’s top priorities,” the Chief Minister said after the meeting. She stressed that cleanliness must not be confined to garbage collection but should include efficient drain cleaning, public toilet upkeep, solid waste management, and active public participation.

CM Gupta reaffirmed the government’s commitment to modernising sanitation infrastructure by leveraging technology, improving manpower capacity, and ensuring accountability at all administrative levels. She concluded by saying that every locality — regardless of size or socio-economic background — deserves equal access to clean and hygienic surroundings, and the government is determined to achieve that goal.

Delhi