After 2.5-year delay, Municipal Corporation of Delhi clears key public works

The approvals come after more than two and a half years of deadlock, caused by political and legal disputes over the formation of the standing committee

The standing committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday approved a slew of long-pending infrastructure proposals, including a multilevel parking project, a new waste processing facility at Ghazipur, road and streetlight revamps in south and west Delhi, and sanitation upgrades – in a significant policy push after a prolonged delay.

The key committee in operation. (HT)

The approvals come after more than two and a half years of deadlock, caused by political and legal disputes over the formation of the standing committee. This was only the second meeting of the newly constituted panel, which reviewed over 130 policy proposals and layout plan changes. Officials said that 23 of 130 resolutions were cleared.

Parking, lighting, and road revamp

A senior MCD official said that the panel has cleared the proposal for an automated multilevel puzzle parking facility at Bharat Darshan Park in Punjabi Bagh, which will accommodate 188 vehicles. “The parking facility will help ease congestion at this busy west Delhi junction near a high-footfall tourist attraction,” the official said.

The panel also gave its nod to a comprehensive project for the operation and maintenance of streetlight infrastructure in the south, central, west, and Najafgarh zones. “This will help upgrade the existing LED streetlight network in areas formerly under the South MCD,” the official added.

Chairperson of the committee Satya Sharma, announced that the panel has approved the “One Road – One Day” initiative. “Starting September 1, one major road in each zone will undergo a complete makeover every day. This includes repair work, footpath upgrades, signage fixing, streetlight restoration, pruning of trees, cleaning, removal of encroachments, and beautification. PWD roads will also be covered where sanitation duties fall under MCD,” Sharma said.

Waste management

It also cleared a long-stalled proposal to set up an ingesta and dung drying processing plant at the Ghazipur slaughterhouse — Delhi’s only licensed slaughter facility. The project had been repeatedly flagged by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which had asked MCD to ensure scientific disposal of slaughter waste.

In May 2022, operations at Ghazipur slaughterhouse were suspended after the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) withdrew consent, citing NGT’s directions and violation of environmental norms. Though the facility was later reopened with a conditional go-ahead, the waste processing unit could not be set up due to the absence of a functioning standing committee.

The panel also approved the procurement of 17 backhoe loaders for sanitation work in South Delhi, and the deployment of 24 mechanical road sweepers to tackle dust pollution on arterial roads.

Meat shop regulations

In response to concerns raised by members over increasing issues related to community dogs, the panel decided to formulate a comprehensive community dog policy and constitute a committee for the same.

Addressing complaints about illegal meat shops near schools and religious places, Sharma said, “Clear instructions have been issued to shut down all meat shops operating within 100 metres of religious institutions and schools. Shops running without valid licences must be sealed immediately.”

Another proposal for strengthening garbage collection and sanitation operations in the Central zone was also passed.

Layout plans, health issues

Of the 70 layout plan proposals presented, only one — for a new DTC bus depot in Hari Nagar — was approved. All private layout modification proposals were deferred for the second consecutive meeting. Officials said that all projects with financial implications above ₹5 crore and layout changes require the standing committee’s clearance.

The meeting, which lasted over three and a half hours, also saw a short notice question on water quality and waterborne diseases raised by committee deputy chairman Sunder Singh. Responding to it, the public health department reported that 2,255 water samples had been tested so far in 2024-25, of which 409 were of poor quality. Of 870 random samples taken this financial year, 174 failed quality checks.

“We jointly undertake these tests with DJB and when samples fail, we inform the DJB to take corrective action. Chlorination and ORS camps are set up. However, no legal action or penalties are issued against DJB,” a senior official told the committee. Sharma responded that “penal provisions must also be invoked to ensure accountability.”

Opposition raises issues

Opposition members from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) raised several issues during the meeting, including severe waterlogging in several parts of the city despite claims of record desilting, the deteriorating condition of MCD school infrastructure, shortage of guards and nursery teachers, and vacancies in supervisory roles in the public health department.