60% garbage along Rly tracks cleared, MCD sends ₹6cr bill

MCD removes 60% of 28,000 tonnes of garbage from Delhi railway lines, sets June 30 deadline. Sends ₹6 crore bill to Northern Railways.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has removed around 60% of the 28,000 tonnes of garbage around railway lines in the Capital, senior officials aware of the matter said, adding that it has set a deadline of June 30 to clear the tracks of waste.

Delhi has a railway line network of 105km which are surrounded by an estimated 48,000 slum dwellings. (Representational image)

MCD has also sent Northern Railways a bill of ₹6 crore for the lifting and processing of the garbage.

Delhi has a railway line network of 105km which are surrounded by an estimated 48,000 slum dwellings. These areas along the tracks have long been unofficial dumping grounds for garbage — officials state that the two main sources of this waste are railway passengers and slum dwellers.

MCD officials said the civic body has identified and mapped out the nearest dustbins, dhalaos (primary garbage receptacles), and fixed garbage compactor stations to transport the garbage away from the vicinity of tracks.

In May 2023, Northern Railways in compliance with directions issued by monitoring agencies and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), had asked MCD to carry out a joint inspection in June that year to assess legacy waste along railway tracks. In an attempt to tackle the jurisdictional issues, the cost for collection.

Last July, MCD had undertaken a pilot project and cleaned around 1,600 metric tonnes of legacy waste on a stretch between Azadpur and Narela. Later, in November that year, MCD announced that it was undertaking a drive to clear and dispose solid waste from these sites, which include the stretch from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Lodhi Colony station, from Lodhi Colony station to Okhla station, and the area around the Badarpur Border station, among others.

A senior MCD official said NHRC is monitoring the progress to clear the tracks. “The previous target for clearing the railway lines was March 31, but this has been extended to June. We hope that the work will be completed by the end of next month. Zonal teams have been deployed in teams headed by sanitation inspectors,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

Cleaning railway lines in the city was also a key feature of the solid waste management action plan finalised by the National Green Tribunal-constituted high-level panel on solid waste management that is headed by lieutenant governor VK Saxena.

The official quoted above said that the cleaning of the tracks needs to be carried out in coordination with railway authorities, as the movement of trains needs to be considered to ensure the safety of sanitation workers. “The clean-up drive can only be taken up in time slots provided by the railways or under their supervision to ensure safety of the personnel,” the official said.

According to MCD regulations, bulk waste producers (those that produce more than 100 kg waste per day) are expected to treat their waste. To tackle jurisdictional issues, the cost for collection, transportation and processing of waste was proposed to be borne in a 70:30 ratio by railways and Delhi agencies.

However, since November 2023, MCD has been lifting waste along the tracks, and has sent Northern Railways a bill of ₹6 crore, based on the work that has been executed so far, with officials stating that the cost of transporting and processing waste is coming out to be around ₹5,125 per tonne.

A second official said that MCD regularly coordinates with the railways over payment.

“In this regard, a letter on December 15, 2023 was sent to railways to pay ₹3,22,87,500 and subsequently, another letter was sent to railways, for the total waste lifted from the railway track as on January 30 amounting to ₹4,87,05,694. But so far, no payment has been received from railways against this reference, and thereafter another reminder has been sent to make the payment of ₹5,99,86,587 for 16721 metric tonnes waste lifted till March,” the official said.

HT reached out to Northern Railways, but officials there did not comment on the matter.