Final Blow to the Garbage Mountain, No New Mountain Will Be Created

New Delhi: The campaign to eliminate the towering garbage dumps that have stood in Delhi for years has now entered a new phase. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inspected the Okhla landfill site on Saturday, reviewing the progress of legacy waste disposal and announcing major steps to prevent newly generated waste from piling up into garbage mountains again.

As part of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, the Chief Minister virtually laid the foundation stones for new waste-processing plants at Okhla, Singhola and Ghazipur, along with a biogas plant at Ghazipur. The new waste-processing plants will have capacities of 1,400 tonnes per day at Okhla, 700 tonnes per day at Singhola and 800 tonnes per day at Ghazipur. Keeping in mind the cleanliness of the Yamuna and better management of biodegradable waste, the foundation stone was also laid for a 300-tonne-per-day biogas plant at Ghazipur.

217.17 Lakh Metric Tonnes of Waste Cleared in One-and-a-Half Years

According to the Chief Minister, around 21.717 million metric tonnes of waste have been processed and cleared from the Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur landfill sites over the past approximately one-and-a-half years. The campaign has freed up nearly 100 acres of land.

The government said its objective is no longer limited to removing legacy waste but also to scientifically process newly generated waste on a daily basis so that garbage mountains do not emerge again in Delhi.

During a review meeting with officials at the Okhla landfill site, the Chief Minister took stock of the current waste-disposal situation, available land and the capacity of new processing facilities. She directed officials to strengthen arrangements for processing fresh waste arriving every day along with the scientific disposal of legacy waste at landfill sites.

“I Took My Last Selfie with the Garbage Mountain Today”

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the garbage mountains that had accumulated in Delhi due to years of neglect are now steadily shrinking.

She said the government's commitment is not limited to removing old waste but also includes scientifically processing new waste and preventing it from becoming another garbage mountain.

The Chief Minister said, “Today, we took our last selfie with the garbage mountain. We are resolving to eliminate both the old garbage mountains and prevent new ones from forming in Delhi in 2026 itself.”

She said increasing processing capacity would accelerate the scientific disposal of waste and enable better utilisation of landfill land. The government is also working towards generating resources and renewable energy from waste alongside improving waste management.

Focus on 3,000 Tonnes Per Day of Additional Capacity

Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood said Delhi is now focusing on finding solutions to its problems rather than engaging only in blame and counter-blame.

He said efforts are underway to address other long-standing problems of Delhi, just as the issue of legacy waste is being tackled. He added that waste-processing plants with capacity exceeding the amount of waste generated in Delhi every day would be established to provide a long-term solution to the city's waste problem.

Transformation in Two Months, Plans for a Park

Mayor Pravesh Wahi said Delhi is being developed with renewed energy under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.

He referred to a location at the Okhla site where a garbage mountain had existed until recently. According to him, disposal work was accelerated following the Chief Minister's directions, and there are now plans to develop a park on around three acres of land at the site.

The Mayor said special boxes have also been installed across Delhi for the separate collection of broken idols and religious offerings.

He added that plants with a combined capacity of 3,000 tonnes per day would be established for processing newly generated waste. Work is also underway to provide the necessary resources, including new MRS machines and auto-tippers, to strengthen the city's sanitation system.

Kotla Mubarakpur Also Gets New Facility

During the programme, the Chief Minister also virtually dedicated a newly constructed Mother and Child Centre in Kotla Mubarakpur to the public.

The programme also highlighted several initiatives related to waste management, sanitation and civic amenities.

Deputy Mayor Dr Monika Pant, Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma, Standing Committee Vice-Chairperson Satyapal Singh, Leader of the House Jai Bhagwan Yadav, DEMS Committee Chairperson Sandeep Kapoor, South-East Zone Ward Committee Chairperson Neetu Chaudhary, councillors, MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar, Additional Commissioner Leeladhar Meghwal, South-East Zone Deputy Commissioner Sachin Gupta, Chief Engineer K.K. Sharma, and other civic officials were present at the event.