Delhi to form night cleaning task force to curb debris dumping

The CM told PWD and MCD teams to modernise systems, boost machinery and improve sweeping along key roads while coordinating staffing across departments.

The Delhi government has decided to set up a dedicated task force to monitor night-time cleaning operations and curb violations such as illegal dumping of construction debris and unauthorised vehicle movement, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

Agencies will add green shredders in all constituencies for horticulture waste and must file compliance reports within two weeks after scaling up resources. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

The decision was taken in a review meeting chaired by chief minister Rekha Gupta, during which she directed officials to ensure strict compliance with environmental norms and maintain cleanliness across the Capital. The task force will oversee cleaning and sweeping along roads maintained by the public works department (PWD) besides round-the-clock checks to prevent C&D waste dumping, officials said.

Representatives from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) also attended the meeting. Officials said the chief minister instructed the civic body to modernise its waste management systems and assured that funds would be made available for procurement of required machinery and resources. The upcoming task force will draw personnel from multiple agencies and will function as a coordinated monitoring unit, they added.

The MCD has been tasked with strengthening door-to-door garbage collection, improving public outreach on waste segregation, and increasing the number of compactors, dumpers and large containers at 437 garbage vulnerable points to prevent waste accumulation. Officials added that colonies achieving complete efficiency in waste management will be recognised by the government.

“To enhance waste processing and reduce the load on landfill sites, the civic body has been asked to provide a report on operational status and locations of composters across Delhi. The CM also instructed officials to identify one site in each of the 12 MCD zones for setting up compressed biogas (CBG) and biogas plants,” the official added.

Officials said Gupta further stressed the need to deploy adequate auto-tippers, compactors and mini trucks in every zone to streamline waste collection, transportation and processing. All sanitation-related projects must adhere to defined timelines and be executed with transparency, the CM instructed.