Delhi residents will soon have designated kiosks to deposit damaged idols and worship materials instead of dumping them in parks, streets or water bodies, with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi signing an agreement with Plastindia Foundation to set up 250 such collection centres across MCD wards in the first phase. Of these, 60 kiosks have already been installed at designated locations, Plastindia Foundation Chairman Alok Tibrewala said, adding that the foundation had developed, supplied and installed the centres free of cost as part of its commitment to environmental protection and responsible waste management.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on the initiative of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, with the agreement formalised at a programme held at the Delhi Secretariat on Thursday. The event was attended by Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi, Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma, Leader of the House Jaibhagwan Yadav, Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar and officials from concerned departments.
Under the initiative, residents will be able to deposit damaged idols and related religious materials at the kiosks after performing rituals, instead of leaving them in open spaces or immersing them in water bodies. The collected materials will then be segregated and recycled through a proper management process.
The Chief Minister said the initiative was aimed at ensuring that citizens could continue their religious practices while also fulfilling their responsibility toward keeping the city clean. She appealed to residents to use the designated centres rather than leaving idols and worship materials on roads, in open spaces or in water bodies, saying even small individual efforts could meaningfully improve cleanliness and environmental protection across the city.
Under the terms of the agreement, once the kiosks are formally handed over, their day-to-day operation will become the responsibility of the MCD and relevant government authorities. Mayor Wahi said the initiative marked an important step toward the proper management of religious materials in the city, noting that the designated centres would help prevent damaged idols and worship items from being scattered across public spaces.