NDMC steps up night cleaning, deploys 300 workers ahead of BRICS

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has stepped up sanitation operations across its jurisdiction ahead of the BRICS Summit 2026, deploying nearly 300 sanitation workers during the night and increasing the use of mechanised cleaning equipment. Under the intensified arrangements, which came into effect on September 4, the NDMC has deployed around 300 sanitation workers during the night shift along with 10 Mechanical Road Sweepers (MRS).

The move is aimed at completing the bulk of sweeping and waste-lifting operations during the night so that major roads and public spaces are cleaned before the morning rush. The summit is scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam on September 12-13.

According to NDMC, with the Summit expected to bring international delegates and visitors to the national capital, the NDMC has identified cleanliness and civic presentation as key operational priorities.

Sanitation teams are being deployed across major roads, markets, public spaces and other important locations within the Council’s jurisdiction. The arrangements had been planned to ensure that sanitation operations continued uninterrupted through the Summit period, with field teams and supervisory personnel maintaining close watch over cleanliness conditions.

During the night shift, sanitation teams undertake sweeping, lifting accumulated and scattered waste, and emptying of bins and trolleys. Jet cleaning operations are subsequently undertaken in the early morning, with the morning shift attending to finishing work and any fresh sanitation requirements.

The NDMC has also strengthened cleaning arrangements in major markets, which are being attended to three times a day — during the morning, evening and night shifts. Main roads and other important stretches are being kept under continuous supervision. According to officials, mechanised cleaning has been given greater emphasis as part of the preparedness plan. Besides the 10 MRS deployed during the night, 15 Gobbler machines are being deployed during the day at strategic locations for the collection of scattered waste and litter.

In addition, 11 pressure-jetting machines have been deployed for deep cleaning of roads, footpaths, market areas and other public spaces across the NDMC jurisdiction, as part of the intensified sanitation arrangements. The mechanised operations are being supplemented by an increased deployment of sanitation workers for manual sweeping, particularly in market areas, pedestrian stretches and locations that require close manual intervention. NDMC has also intensified door-to-door waste collection in major markets and other high-footfall areas to prevent the accumulation of waste in public spaces. Trolley lifting has been organised in three shifts to ensure timely evacuation of collected waste, officials said.

The sanitation workforce has been organised across three shifts, with around 300 personnel deployed at night, approximately 120 in the evening shift and the remaining workforce during the morning shift.

The NDMC has also placed its supervisory and field machinery on round-the-clock preparedness. Supervisory staff, officers and Palika Sahayaks have been directed to remain available 24x7 and on call, while leave has been cancelled or restricted, wherever required, to ensure adequate manpower during the Summit period.

The arrangements are intended to enable quick intervention in case of littering, waste accumulation or any other sanitation-related requirement, particularly in areas witnessing heavy pedestrian and vehicular movement.

Officials said the emphasis was on maintaining sanitation standards throughout the day rather than restricting cleaning activity to the conventional morning shift. The night-time deployment, coupled with mechanised sweeping, early-morning jet cleaning and strengthened manual sweeping, is expected to allow sanitation teams to respond more quickly to the changing requirements of high-footfall areas.