Leader of Opposition (LoP) in MCD House, Ankush Narang, asserted that sanitation services in Delhi’s Central Zone have completely collapsed. On Friday, the MCD LoP, along with councillors from the Central Zone, met MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar and submitted a demand letter seeking urgent improvement in the area’s sanitation.
“We have urged the Commissioner to ensure that the piles of garbage spread across every lane and street in the Central Zone be cleared immediately. Monsoon has arrived in Delhi, and the presence of garbage everywhere is increasing the risk of seasonal diseases,” said Ankush Narang.
He further revealed, “I had written to the Mayor on this issue on June 4. The Mayor had promised cleaning within two days, but no such action was taken. I then raised this matter in the House, during which the Mayor said it would be referred to the Standing Committee. However, even there, no action plan was presented.”
Present at the meeting with the Commissioner were councillors from Central Zone: Sarika Chaudhary (Ward-142), Hema Shrichand Vohra (Ward-184), Pankaj Gupta (Ward-168), Rakesh Lohia (Ward-179), and Bhagveer Chaudhary (Ward-170).
In his letter to the Commissioner, Ankush Narang wrote, “The sanitation system in Delhi’s Central Zone has completely crumbled. Piles of garbage can be seen everywhere, making life unbearable for local residents. The biggest reason for this is that no concessionaire or agency has been appointed by the corporation to carry out door-to-door garbage collection in the Central Zone.”
He noted that the Central Zone has 25 councillors, including 7 from Aam Aadmi Party, and all 25 have raised concerns over deteriorating sanitation in their wards. “However, only AAP councillors have taken a stand on the issue. Despite BJP being in power in the MCD, even BJP councillors are facing the brunt of the garbage crisis, but they remain silent. The BJP has managed to silence them. The situation in the Central Zone is extremely grave.”
Ankush Narang added, “We raised the issue of sanitation in the Central Zone in the House meeting held last June and demanded the appointment of a concessionaire. It was informed that an item regarding the concessionaire’s appointment would be brought up in the next Standing Committee meeting. But, unfortunately, no such item or action plan was presented in the Standing Committee meeting held on June 27, 2025.”
Highlighting another concern, he stated, “After cleaning of drains, the sludge is being left on the roadside. This soil is now flowing back into the drains, causing waterlogging. To prevent this, every councillor should be provided a Tata 407 vehicle to remove sludge from roads. Currently, councillors do not have access to Tata 407s. In areas where 10 tippers existed earlier, only 2 remain; in areas with 15, only 3 are now functioning. This is a major reason why garbage is piling up on the streets.”
The MCD House LoP stressed the growing public anger, stating, “Local residents of Central Zone are extremely angry due to the poor sanitation situation, and councillors are finding it very difficult to face the public. As you are aware, the monsoon has hit Delhi and unpredictable rains are leading to severe waterlogging caused by accumulated filth. This has increased the threat of waterborne diseases.”
He reiterated that AAP councillors had already submitted a memorandum to the Mayor’s office on June 4, 2025, demanding immediate rectification of the sanitation system. In his closing appeal, Ankush Narang requested, “I urge MCD Commissioner Ashwini Kumar to personally intervene and fix the collapsing sanitation system in the Central Zone and immediately appoint a concessionaire. Please issue the necessary directions to the concerned departments to take prompt and appropriate action to resolve the sanitation issues in the Central Zone.”
MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar assured Ankush Narang, stating, “The issue of garbage in the Central Zone will be resolved at the earliest. Within the next one to one-and-a-half months, a concessionaire will be appointed and assigned work on the recommendation of the Aam Aadmi Party.”
