1,000 mechanical litter pickers to be deployed across Delhi’s roads and public spaces, 50 machines flagged off in the first phase
35 women drivers appointed to operate waste collection vehicles, strengthening sanitation services and promoting women’s empowerment
Waste management is our top priority; government working on a long-term plan for the next 15–30 years: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta
MCD is committed to a clean, beautiful and developed Delhi, citizen participation is essential to making the city garbage-free: Mayor Pravesh Wahi
New Delhi, October 2026 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday inaugurated a Fixed Compactor Transfer Station (FCTS) plant in M Block, Sarita Vihar. On the occasion, she flagged off new vehicles for door-to-door waste collection and transportation. A total of 35 women drivers have also been appointed to operate these vehicles. The initiative will strengthen the city’s sanitation system while also promoting greater participation of women in the sector.
The Chief Minister also launched an initiative to deploy 1,000 mechanical litter pickers across all 250 wards of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to collect litter scattered on roads and in public places. In the first phase, 50 machines were flagged off.
Union Minister of State Shri Harsh Malhotra, Delhi Mayor Shri Pravesh Wahi, Deputy Mayor Dr Monika Pant, Standing Committee Chairperson Smt. Satya Sharma, Leader of the House in the MCD Shri Jai Bhagwan Yadav, Standing Committee Vice-Chairperson Shri Satyapal Singh, Municipal Commissioner Shri Sanjeev Khirwar, senior civic officials, office-bearers and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Waste Management Is the Top Priority
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said sanitation and proper waste management were among Delhi’s biggest challenges. Waste management was being accorded the highest priority to make the national capital clean, green and healthy. The Delhi government was continuously providing the Municipal Corporation with modern machinery, equipment and the necessary resources. The government was working on a long-term plan to ensure that Delhi residents would not have to face waste management problems over the next 15 to 30 years.
The Chief Minister said that, earlier, only 6,000-7,000 metric tonnes of the nearly 15,000 metric tonnes of waste generated daily could be processed. As a result, the city’s garbage mountains continued to grow. To address this situation, work was underway to set up new waste-to-energy plants, increase the capacity of existing plants, establish e-waste centres and install biogas plants to manage cow dung. The government was also focusing on providing new sanitation machinery, improving infrastructure and making additional staff available.
Modern Sanitation Machinery for the South-East Zone
The Chief Minister said approval had been granted to provide 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 to strengthen sanitation services in the South-East Zone. In addition, 100 compactor bins were available. To strengthen sanitation infrastructure, 1,500 steel dustbins, 300 HDPE dustbins and 10 tipper trucks for transporting horticultural waste had also been provided.
The Delhi government had also made arrangements to provide the Municipal Corporation with 1,000 battery-operated picker machines. Of these, 150 had arrived, while the remaining machines were targeted for delivery within the next month. These machines would help collect small pieces of litter from roads and public places and support vacuum cleaning. Funds had also been provided for 100 mechanical sweeping machines.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government aimed to ensure that all waste generated each day was processed and disposed of on the same day. To achieve this, efforts were underway to strengthen machinery and infrastructure and increase staff availability for sanitation services.
Separate Collection Facilities for Old Clothes and Broken Idols
The Chief Minister urged residents to deposit unwanted clothes at ‘Arpan’ centres set up near metro stations instead of throwing them away. These centres would facilitate the recycling and reuse of clothes, helping ensure better utilisation of resources and protect the environment. She said arrangements were also being made for the separate collection and processing of old and broken idols and puja materials. The plan was to set up immersion kiosks in all 250 wards of Delhi. According to the Chief Minister’s address, around 100 kiosks had already been established. The initiative aims to prevent such materials from being mixed with regular waste and ensure their separate management. She urged residents to dispose of waste at designated locations and cooperate in maintaining cleanliness.
Citizen Participation Essential for a Clean Delhi: Mayor
Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi said a clean environment was the foundation of a better quality of life and a beautiful future. Under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and the leadership of Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta, continuous efforts were being made to make Delhi clean, beautiful and developed. The MCD aimed to make solid waste management more effective, regular and accountable. He urged residents to segregate wet and dry waste, hand over household waste through the designated collection system and refrain from littering public places.
