Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated on Saturday that the mountains of garbage at city landfills are gradually decreasing. During an inspection of waste disposal work in Okhla, she also laid the foundation for new waste processing facilities in Okhla, Ghazipur, and Singhu.
Gupta specified that the Delhi government has restored 100 acres of land across three city landfills over the past eighteen months, with a significant portion of the cleared area being converted into green zones. She emphasized that almost all outdated garbage in Okhla, existing before January 2025, has been processed.
Gupta noted: 'Today in Okhla, we have processed almost all the outdated garbage that was there before January 2025.'
The government is focused on two areas: eliminating existing dumpsites and preventing the accumulation of new waste. According to ANI, approximately 3,000–4,000 metric tons of fresh waste arrive at the landfills daily, which are processed around the clock.
The minister explained: 'The garbage currently accumulated here is essentially fresh waste generated after January 2025, and it is also being processed 24/7. Thus, we are fighting on two fronts: one is waste removal, and the other is ensuring the immediate processing of 3,000–4,000 metric tons of fresh waste arriving daily so that new mountains of garbage do not form for future generations.'
Gupta announced the government's intention to reduce existing garbage mountains to zero, noting that people are observing a constant decrease in these landfills, and they will soon disappear.
During the event at the Okhla landfill, Gupta took what she called her 'last selfie' with a garbage mountain, vowing that this mountain would soon vanish. Commenting on opposition criticism, she added that she previously said the garbage mountain should go, and now she says it is going, leaving only her mark.
As part of the program at the Okhla site, foundations were laid for new fresh waste processing plants in Okhla, Ghazipur, and Singhu, as well as a biogas plant in Ghazipur. Additionally, she virtually inaugurated the M&CW Centre in Kotla Mubarakpur from Okhla.
The plant in Okhla is planned to cost 103 crore rupees and have a processing capacity of 1,400 metric tons per day. The facility in Singhu will cost 42 crore rupees and have a capacity of 800 metric tons per day, while the plant in Ghazipur will provide a capacity of 700 metric tons per day. These complexes are designed to process both fresh and construction and demolition waste. Gupta reported that the new installations will also produce biogas, green energy, and fertilizers.
The minister stressed that 'waste should not remain waste; Delhi must use it as wealth,' adding that new technologies are being implemented for sorting and recycling garbage. As part of creating a technologically advanced waste management system, the use of waste and cattle dung for producing biogas and fertilizers is planned.
Gupta also mentioned that the government is taking comprehensive measures to combat pollution, including working on landfill waste, cleaning the Yamuna River, reducing dust, greening, improving road infrastructure, and waste management. She stated that the government is approaching the pollution problem from a '360-degree perspective' to gradually reduce pollution levels, working on every aspect for the improvement of air quality in Delhi.
Furthermore, the minister inspected the progress of waste disposal work with officials and instructed them to accelerate the process according to the established schedule. She noted that the garbage mountains in Bhalswa, Ghazipur, and Okhla caused inconvenience to residents traveling through these areas and confirmed that efforts to eliminate them are ongoing.