New Delhi, October 17 (H.S.): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday inaugurated a Fixed Compactor Transfer Station (FCTS) at M Block in Sarita Vihar and flagged off new vehicles for door-to-door waste collection and transportation. The initiative also includes the appointment of 35 women drivers to operate sanitation vehicles.

The Chief Minister also launched a programme to deploy 1,000 mechanical litter pickers across all 250 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to remove waste scattered along roads and public spaces. In the first phase, 50 machines were flagged off. Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra, Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi, Deputy Mayor Monika Pant, Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma, Leader of the House in the MCD Jai Bhagwan Yadav, Standing Committee Vice-Chairperson Satyapal Singh, Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar and other senior officials attended the event.

CM Rekha Gupta said Delhi generates approximately 15,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, of which only 6,000–7,000 metric tonnes could previously be processed. This shortfall contributed to the continued expansion of landfill sites. To address the challenge, the government is working to establish new waste-to-energy plants, expand the capacity of existing facilities, set up e-waste centres and develop biogas plants to manage cow dung.

She said approvals had been granted to strengthen sanitation infrastructure in the South-East Zone, including 428 auto-tippers, 128 e-rickshaws, 25 Tata 407 vehicles for door-to-door waste collection, 27 refuse compactors, five additional refuse compactors and 30 hook loaders. The zone also has 100 compactor bins. Further provisions include 1,500 steel dustbins, 300 high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bins and 10 tipper trucks for transporting horticultural waste.

The Delhi government has also arranged for 1,000 battery-operated picker machines for the municipal corporation. Of these, 150 have been delivered, while the remaining machines are targeted for delivery within a month. The machines will help remove small litter from roads and public spaces and support vacuum cleaning operations. Funding has also been provided for 100 mechanical sweeping machines.

CM Rekha Gupta urged residents to avoid discarding unwanted clothing and instead deposit it at ‘Arpan’ centres located near metro stations. These centres will facilitate the recycling and reuse of clothing, helping conserve resources and protect the environment. She added that arrangements were also being made for the separate collection and processing of old or damaged idols and religious offerings. The government plans to establish immersion kiosks in all 250 MCD wards, of which approximately 100 have already been set up, according to the Chief Minister.

Mayor Pravesh Wahi said a clean environment was essential for a better quality of life and a sustainable future. He said efforts were underway to make Delhi cleaner, more attractive and more developed, with the municipal corporation aiming to improve the efficiency, regularity and accountability of solid waste management.

Pravesh Wahi appealed to residents to segregate wet and dry waste, hand over household rubbish through designated collection systems and refrain from littering public spaces.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar