Delhi minister outlines landfill cleanup, Yamuna revival, electric transport and pollution control measures.
Minister for Environment, Forest and Wild Life of Delhi, Manjinder Singh Sirsa (Photo: File)
NEW DELHI: “Whatever has happened in Delhi in the last 10 months is extraordinary,” Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, asserting that the BJP-led government has begun reversing years of neglect through focused action on waste management, pollution control and infrastructure.
Speaking at the India News Manch during a session titled “Air and Water: Delhi’s Master Plan,” Sirsa said Delhi, as the nation’s capital, remains under constant national and global scrutiny.
“All eyes — from the media to the world — are on Delhi, and that gives us the opportunity to work in the same manner,” he said.
Referring to landfill sites, Sirsa said garbage mountains that had become Delhi’s identity are now being dismantled.
“Out of 202 acres of garbage dumps, garbage has been completely removed from 45 acres through biomining. Nearly 40 per cent of Delhi’s garbage mountains have been eliminated,” he said, adding that landfill heights have reduced from nearly 60 metres to around 35–40 metres.
He said Delhi generates 7,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, all of which is now being processed.
“Along with this, the legacy waste given over 10 years — five times the daily generation — is also being cleared every day,” he said.
While the original target was 2027, Sirsa said the government aims to complete the work by 2026.
On development funding, the minister said the Delhi government has allocated at least Rs 100 crore to each MLA for development works, while rural constituencies have received Rs 250 crore each. He said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced a Rs 1 lakh crore budget with infrastructure — roads, drinking water and sewage — as the top priority.
Calling the Yamuna the “biggest challenge,” Sirsa said previous governments made excuses, while the current administration has begun concrete work.
“Before the next election, all water entering the Yamuna will be treated water,” he said, adding that decentralised STPs and ETPs are being developed and the river will be cleaned and developed as a public waterfront.
On transport, Sirsa said Delhi’s bus system is being rapidly electrified.
“About 4,500 electric buses have already been brought in. The target is 7,500 buses by December 2026,” he said, announcing that 100 more buses will be added from Wednesday and 500 more next month.
Addressing air pollution, Sirsa said AQI levels have shown improvement.
“Today AQI is around 350. Last year at this time it was around 450,” he said, adding that Delhi has recorded 37 additional clean days compared to 2024.
He said pollution arises from four sources — vehicles, construction dust, industry and waste — and work is ongoing on all fronts.
He highlighted a sharp rise in electric vehicle adoption.
“Earlier, 3.5 lakh EVs were registered over many years. In just 10 months, 4.5 lakh EVs have been registered,” he said.
He added that funding for waste management has been increased and biomining capacity expanded.
Sirsa announced strict enforcement measures, saying vehicles without valid PUC certificates will not get fuel, with cameras at petrol pumps automatically identifying violators. He said transport of construction material has been restricted and non-Delhi vehicles must comply with BS-VI norms to enter the city.
Responding to criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party, Sirsa said Delhi had been given an “11-year-long disease” and accountability was now being avoided.
On cloud seeding, he said it was carried out with IIT Kanpur after necessary permissions, clarifying that the process depends on cloud availability.
Rejecting allegations of AQI manipulation, Sirsa said monitoring stations were installed during the previous government’s tenure and are under Supreme Court supervision.
On traffic, he spoke about an integrated traffic plan, collaboration with IIT Madras on surface pollution, and an MoU with Google Maps to identify congestion hotspots.
The session concluded with applause, with Sirsa reiterating that the government is focused on long-term solutions for cleaner air, cleaner water and improved infrastructure in Delhi.
