Delhi Releases Rs 500 Crore For Sanitation, Roads And Dust Control

With garbage piling up in pockets of the city and dust from broken roads continuing to choke air quality, the Delhi government on Friday released Rs 500 crore to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to stabilise sanitation services, repair damaged roads and curb dust pollution.

The funding decision came after a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at the Delhi Secretariat, where officials flagged long-pending payments to sanitation agencies, gaps in garbage collection and dust hotspots across neighbourhoods.

"This money will be used for sanitation works and minor road repairs, including pothole filling and patch repairs, to reduce dust generation," Ms Gupta said, underlining that "cleanliness is the government's top priority; no compromise will be made."

Clearing Dues, Fixing Collection Gaps

Officials said a significant portion of the Rs 500 crore will be used to clear overdue payments to waste management agencies, a key reason behind erratic garbage lifting in several areas. Funds will also be channelled towards clearing accumulated waste from zones where contractors are currently not operational.

Focus On Roads As Dust Hotspots

Beyond sanitation, the government has identified damaged roads and potholes as major dust generators, particularly during dry weather. Funds will be used for patch repairs, filling potholes and fixing broken road stretches that often turn into dust traps, officials said.

Rs 300 Crore Annual Support Planned

To avoid recurring funding gaps, the Chief Minister announced that the Delhi government will provide regular annual financial assistance of Rs 300 crore to the MCD in the coming years to support sanitation and waste management operations.

Strict Monitoring Of Fund Use

Gupta directed the civic body to ensure that the entire amount is spent strictly on approved works, with regular monitoring, progress reports and submission of utilisation certificates. “The funds should not be diverted to any other scheme,” she said.

Waste Processing And Equipment Push

Linking sanitation failures directly to air pollution, the Chief Minister said uncollected garbage and poor waste handling significantly add to dust levels in the city.

She asked the MCD to strengthen door-to-door garbage collection, speed up procurement of modern sanitation equipment and expand waste processing capacity.

Instructions were also issued to set up new waste-to-energy plants, upgrade existing facilities and install modern waste-processing machines for green waste in every Assembly constituency.

Why It Matters

The funding push comes as Delhi continues to battle sanitation complaints, overflowing bins, poor road conditions and dust-related pollution, particularly in dense residential and commercial areas.

Officials said improved segregation of wet and dry waste and simplified collection systems would be key to reducing landfill pressure and improving cleanliness across the city.