Residents in various parts of Delhi are waking up to garbage-strewn roads and a pungent smell as long-term waste collection contracts have expired and new tenders have not yet been floated.
“Our patience is tested every day,” said Rita Sharma, 52, a resident of Hari Nagar in west Delhi. “Forget about door-to-door collection; even the garbage vans aren’t coming regularly. If you miss them, you’re left with no choice but to dump your waste in a nearby garbage dump, where it just keeps piling up,” she complained.
Anil Raj, 38, a resident of Okhla, said the situation has worsened during the monsoon season. “The streets get waterlogged and the garbage flows onto the streets, emanating a pungent smell. Even children have to endure this daily as they cross these streets to catch the school bus,” he said.
The situation arose following the expiry of a seven-year contract for waste collection in the three zones of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
While the tender for the Central Zone expired in 2022, it was extended yearly till 2025. The absence of a Standing Committee in the MCD, until recently, had delayed the process of floating fresh tenders. A six-month short-term contract was awarded by the zone in August, anticipating that the process of hiring a long-term concessionaire would be completed in the meantime.
In the South and West Zones, tenders expired in 2024 and were extended till April 2025. Thereafter, no new contracts, even interim ones, were finalised, according to a senior official. “The same concessionaires continue to operate under extension with outdated equipment and reduced manpower, leading to service breakdowns,” the official said.
“With short-term contracts in place, mechanisation of waste collection is back to basics,” said another official. “With few machines, the contractor can’t manage the waste collection, and for a six-month contract, a contractor won’t invest much in machinery,” the official added.
Poor management
Near the ISKCON temple in East of Kailash, garbage has been accumulating for several weeks. “The stench hits you right in the face. It’s so shameful to have this garbage outside a temple,” said Renu Gupta, 47, a resident of Sukhdev Vihar and a frequent visitor.
Several councillors have raised concerns about the poor waste collection with the higher authorities at the MCD.
Rajpal Singh, the MCD councillor from Sriniwaspuri ward in Kalkaji and a member of the Standing Committee, said, “Waste management in our zone has been in disarray for the past three months. Although a six-month contract has been awarded to a concessionaire, garbage collection remains inefficient due to a lack of machinery, bins, and auto tippers. Even a retired Chief Justice sent us videos of garbage piling up on roads, which he noticed during his morning walks. People have been protesting.”
Mr. Singh said the number of auto tippers in some wards has dropped from 15-17 to just 4-5. “To manage the situation, we are purchasing 300 garbage bins and will be installing them. The accumulated waste will be cleared soon,” he added.
According to MCD officials, the long-term tender process is expected to take at least eight more months. They said a fresh notice inviting bids will be issued before the next Standing Committee meeting.
Acknowledging the issue, MCD Commissioner Ashwini Kumar, during a recent Standing Committee meeting, said, “Even if I promise you that bins will be installed, do we have the funds? Only ₹70 crore is being paid to concessionaires against their demand of ₹90 crore. We had to go for a short-term tender to avoid further delays. The situation isn’t alarming in terms of garbage volume, but yes, the management is poor.”
Published – September 08, 2025 12:58 am IST
