The Centre has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to prepare a 15–20 day action plan to clear legacy waste from 125 locations along 18.9 km of railway tracks in the capital and prevent fresh dumping on railway land.
The directive was issued at a meeting chaired by the Union home secretary last week to review Delhi’s cleanliness situation under Special Campaign 6.0. Railway Board, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and MCD officials attended the meeting, according to its minutes.
The Railway Board chairperson flagged the accumulation of solid waste along railway tracks and adjoining areas, including unauthorised encroachments and colonies. The minutes recorded concerns over environmental hazards, health risks and threats to operational safety. The meeting also called for a mechanism to prevent garbage from accumulating again on railway land after clean-up drives.
MCD has been asked to prepare a practical plan for daily door-to-door waste collection and authorised disposal in areas adjoining railway tracks. It must also conduct a location-wise survey to assess daily waste generation and identify gaps in collection services, the minutes stated.
Under the proposed plan, MCD will coordinate with the Union Territory division and the Railway Board to map colonies adjoining the tracks and identify the sources contributing to waste dumping. The exercise will estimate the amount of waste generated in these areas and establish enforcement measures against unauthorised dumping.
The directive specifically includes unauthorised habitations in the door-to-door collection plan. Officials have also been asked to work with local communities and non-governmental organisations on an information, education and communication campaign to discourage dumping and improve awareness about waste disposal.
The action follows sanitation drives that MCD has been carrying out along railway stretches. In March, the civic body decided to engage a dedicated agency for regular waste removal and year-round cleanliness along the railways. It also planned to create garbage bins and collection points on railway land after consultation with residents, councillors and railway authorities.
Delhi has 365.2 km of railway tracks in total. Indian Railways operates about 123 km of tracks in the National Capital Territory, with several stretches passing alongside slums and JJ colonies. The latest directive focuses on 125 identified waste locations covering 18.9 km, while requiring agencies to address both existing legacy waste and the collection systems that contribute to repeated accumulation.
The next formal milestone is MCD’s submission of the action plan within 15–20 days. The plan is expected to set out the location-wise survey, collection arrangements, disposal process, agency coordination and enforcement measures for the affected railway-side areas.
