L-G Sandhu Mandates Indore-Style Waste Pilot to Combat Delhi Landfill Crisis

L-G Targets Delhi's Landfill Reliance with Indore Strategy

Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu has issued a directive to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to launch a pilot program based on the Indore waste management model. During a high-level review of civic infrastructure on Monday, July 27, 2026, Sandhu highlighted a critical failure in the capital's sanitation chain: approximately 50% of municipal refuse currently bypasses source segregation. This failure results in half of the daily garbage volume being dumped directly into already overburdened landfill sites.

Sandhu argued that the gains achieved through legacy waste remediation will be effectively cancelled out if daily incoming waste continues to accumulate. To prevent this, he instructed officials to implement a rigorous monitoring system ensuring that daily processing capacity matches the city's total output. The Indore Municipal Corporation, frequently cited as the gold standard in national cleanliness rankings, will serve as the operational template for a single selected municipal zone before a potential wider rollout.

Expanding the Civic Agenda: Monsoon and Winter Preparedness

Beyond waste processing, the Lieutenant-Governor examined a battery of seasonal challenges facing the MCD. The review covered several high-priority domains:

• Health and Sanitation: Enhanced readiness for malaria and dengue outbreaks during the monsoon season.
• Infrastructure and Drainage: Intensive de-silting operations to mitigate chronic waterlogging and a safety audit for all MCD-maintained roads.
• Urban Planning: Progress updates on the PM-UDAY scheme and efforts to alleviate traffic gridlock at toll plazas.

Looking ahead to the colder months, Sandhu ordered the immediate development of a comprehensive winter action plan focused on air quality. This strategy mandates road resurfacing to reduce dust and emissions, addressing the cyclical pollution crisis that impacts the capital every winter.

Source: The Hindu — Cities