Rekha Gupta Government Deploys Modern Machines to Tackle Delhi’s Ghazipur Landfill

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has launched a major initiative to modernise the capital’s waste management system and tackle growing garbage accumulation. On Saturday, she inaugurated a Fixed Compactor Transfer Station (FCTS) in M Block, Sarita Vihar, marking a new step towards improving sanitation infrastructure.

The event also saw the flagging off of door-to-door waste collection vehicles and the assignment of sanitation vehicles to 35 women drivers, highlighting the government’s efforts to increase women’s participation in the city’s cleanliness operations.

1,000 Mechanical Waste Collection Machines Planned Across Delhi

The Delhi government has initiated a plan to deploy 1,000 mechanical waste collection machines across all 250 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). In the first phase, 50 machines were flagged off.

The machines are designed to collect small pieces of litter from roads and public spaces and support vacuum-based cleaning. The government aims to transform cleanliness efforts from occasional campaigns into a regular and effective system.

Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, Mayor Pravesh Wahi, Deputy Mayor Dr Monika Pant, Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma, Leader of the House Jai Bhagwan Yadav, Standing Committee Vice-Chairperson Satyapal Singh and Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar were among the senior officials and public representatives present at the event.

Long-Term Waste Management Plan Targets the Next 15–30 Years

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said waste management was among the government’s highest priorities. She noted that Delhi previously generated around 15,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, but only 6,000–7,000 metric tonnes could be processed. This gap contributed to the growth of the city’s landfill mountains.

The government is working on setting up waste-to-energy plants, expanding the capacity of existing facilities, establishing e-waste centres and developing plants that produce biogas from cow dung.

Gupta said the government was preparing a long-term strategy to address Delhi’s waste management needs over the next 15 to 30 years, keeping in mind the city’s growing population and waste generation. The objective is to ensure that the waste produced each day is processed and disposed of on the same day.

How Will New Vehicles and Women Drivers Strengthen Sanitation?

To improve sanitation in southeast Delhi, approval has been granted for 428 automated waste collection vehicles, 128 electric rickshaws, 25 Tata 407 vehicles, 27 garbage compactors, five additional compactors and 30 hook loaders.

Resources are also being arranged for dustbins, vehicles to transport horticultural waste and road-cleaning machines. Of the planned 1,000 battery-operated machines, 150 have already arrived.

The deployment of 35 women drivers is another key part of the initiative, giving women a greater role in operating sanitation vehicles and supporting the city’s cleanliness infrastructure.

Separate Collection Arrangements for Old Clothes and Idols

The Chief Minister appealed to residents to deposit old clothes at ‘Arpan’ centres established near metro stations instead of throwing them away.

The government also plans to install immersion kiosks in all 250 MCD wards for the separate collection of old or damaged idols and other religious offerings. According to Gupta, around 100 kiosks have already been installed.

Mayor Pravesh Wahi stressed that public participation was essential to building a clean, beautiful and developed Delhi. He urged residents to segregate wet and dry waste and dispose of garbage only at designated locations.