Delhi deploys first 50 of 1,000 mechanical litter pickers

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated a Fixed Compactor Transfer Station in Sarita Vihar on Saturday, October 17, and flagged off the first batch of battery-operated mechanical litter pickers under a programme to deploy 1,000 machines across the city’s 250 municipal wards.

The initiative is part of the Delhi government’s wider effort to improve waste collection from roads and public spaces, strengthen sanitation services and expand processing capacity.

The first batch comprises 50 mechanical litter pickers. The government also flagged off vehicles for door-to-door waste collection and transportation, with 35 women appointed to operate the vehicles.

Delhi generates nearly 15,000 metric tonnes of solid waste every day, according to figures cited by the chief minister. The government said only around 6,000–7,000 metric tonnes could previously be processed daily, contributing to the accumulation of waste at landfill sites.

The new transfer station is intended to support the collection and movement of waste through the municipal system. The mechanical litter pickers are designed to help sanitation workers remove litter from roads and public areas more efficiently.

The programme also involves the expansion of waste-processing infrastructure. The government has said it is setting up new waste-to-energy plants, expanding existing facilities, establishing e-waste centres and installing biogas plants to manage cow dung.

Additional sanitation vehicles and equipment have been approved for the South-East Zone. These include 428 auto-tippers, 128 e-rickshaws, 25 Tata 407 vehicles, 27 refuse compactors, five additional compactors and 30 hook loaders.

The zone has also received compactor bins, 1,500 steel dustbins, 300 high-density polyethylene dustbins and 10 tipper trucks for horticultural waste.

The first 50 litter pickers mark the beginning of the citywide rollout. The remaining machines are intended to extend mechanical collection capacity across all 250 MCD wards.

The initiative is part of a longer-term sanitation plan intended to improve waste collection and increase the quantity of waste processed. Its effectiveness will depend on the timely deployment of equipment, reliable collection operations and adequate downstream processing capacity.