Delhi L-G asks MCD to replicate ‘zero-waste model’ across the city

Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Tuesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to replicate the “zero-waste model” developed in south Delhi’s Navjeevan Vihar across the city, with a particular focus on low-income and unauthorised colonies.

Mr. Sandhu issued the direction during a visit to Navjeevan Vihar, one of Delhi’s certified zero-waste colonies, where residents have been managing waste through 100% source segregation, composting on-site and recycling for nearly eight years. The L-G also asked the MCD to explore dedicated funding mechanisms and tap corporate social responsibility resources to help establish similar decentralised waste-management infrastructure in less affluent neighbourhoods.

According to officials, Navjeevan Vihar has diverted more than 10 lakh kg of waste from landfills over the past eight years through its community-led system. The push to expand the model comes as the MCD seeks to revive and scale up the zero-waste colony programme under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, an official said. Delhi currently has over 670 certified zero-waste areas, including over 590 colonies and group housing societies, along with 40 institutions. Together, these process and compost around 100 tonnes of waste every day.