Union Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA)Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday announced that all workers engaged at Delhi's three landfill sites will receive a special incentive of ` 5,000 each ahead of Diwali. Speaking at the Bhalswa landfill, Khattar said he has taken personal responsibility for the cleanup of the site and urged the Delhi government to actively collaborate with relevant organisations to accelerate the process.
The Union minister shared a post in Hindi on X, saying, “Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has paved a new path of national service through the 'Swachh Bharat Mission'. Today, on the occasion of his birthday, numerous programmes focused on cleanliness and service are being organised across the country.”
The post further read, “Today, during #SwachhataHiSeva2025, two important decisions have been taken for all workers operating at the three landfill sites in Delhi - whether they are MCD employees, sanitation workers, or drivers.” The three landfill sites in Delhi are Bhalswa, Ghazipur and Okhla.
According to the post, each worker will receive a special incentive of `5,000 ahead of Diwali, and arrangements will also be made for their free health check-ups. The safety and respect of all these workers, who contribute with their dedication and hard work to the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan', is our true service, it added. He visited the Bhalswa landfill site on Wednesday as part of the ongoing 'Seva Pakhwada' (service fortnight),
where he inspected the legacy waste disposal operations and reaffirmed the government's commitment to eliminate the entire accumulated waste by October 2 next year. During his visit, the minister also reviewed a detailed presentation on the waste management process and conducted an on-site inspection of the landfill, including the upper portions of the site.
A tree plantation drive was also carried out under the “One Tree in the Name of Mother” campaign, with several dignitaries participating, including Delhi's Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, Mayor of Delhi Sardar Raja Iqbal Singh, Deputy Mayor Shri Jaybhagwan Yadav, Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma, and other senior municipal officials.
Khattar highlighted that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will play a key role in the cleanup operations by providing necessary land and logistical support. According to him, approximately 25 acres of land have already been reclaimed following bio-remediation efforts.
Of this, five acres have been transformed into a bamboo garden, while the remaining area is being used to install and operate sanitation-related machinery. He also announced a change in operational procedure, stating that fresh and legacy waste — earlier disposed of at the same site — will now be managed separately to improve efficiency.
Echoing the minister's sentiments, Sood said the government is determined to transform Delhi from a city plagued by garbage mounds into a clean, green, and modern capital. He revealed that more than 50 per cent of the legacy waste has already been processed and reiterated that this mission is not just an infrastructure initiative, but a step towards restoring Delhi's environmental dignity.
Iqbal Singh also shared encouraging figures, stating that the height of the Bhalswa landfill has already been reduced by 15 metres. The total volume of legacy waste has decreased from 73 lakh metric tonnes to 43 lakh metric tonnes, despite the continuous inflow of fresh garbage.