NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has sanctioned a one-time financial assistance of Rs 500 crore for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to strengthen the city’s sanitation system and curb dust-related pollution.
The funds will be utilised for sanitation works and minor road repairs, including pothole filling and patch repairs, to reduce dust generation across the city. She further announced that, in order to ensure long-term strengthening of the sanitation infrastructure, the Delhi government will continue to provide regular annual financial assistance of Rs 300 crore to the MCD in the coming years.
A portion of the Rs 500 crore assistance will be used to clear long-pending dues of agencies engaged in waste management, enabling uninterrupted and efficient sanitation services.
Another portion will be utilised to meet the recurring deficit in garbage collection and transportation, while funds will also be used to remove accumulated waste from areas where contractors are currently not operational. The amount will additionally be spent on minor road repairs and dust-control measures, including filling of potholes and small patch repairs, to address the sources of dust pollution.
A review meeting was held at the Delhi Secretariat on Friday with the CM presiding over it. The meeting was attended by cabinet minister Ashish Sood, Delhi mayor, the chairperson of the Standing Committee, the chief secretary, and the municipal commissioner, along with senior government officers.
The CM directed the MCD to ensure that the entire amount is utilised strictly for the approved purposes and not diverted to other schemes. She said that all financial rules must be adhered to, with regular monitoring of expenditure and mandatory submission of progress reports and utilisation certificates.
The CM also instructed the setting up of new waste-to-energy plants and the upgrading of existing facilities. Emphasising the proper utilisation of green waste, she directed that modern waste-processing machines be installed in every Assembly constituency.