Delhi moves to clear garbage near schools for cleaner surroundings

New Delhi: In a move aimed at ensuring safer and cleaner surroundings for schoolchildren, Delhi’s Social Welfare Minister and North-West District In-charge Ravinder Indraj Singh has written to the Education and Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, urging immediate

action to remove garbage houses and dumping yards located near schools.

During a meeting with Sood on Wednesday, the Minister raised serious concerns over the health and safety of students, stressing that unhygienic surroundings caused by nearby waste collection points could adversely affect children’s physical and mental well-being. He said that creating clean and safe environments around schools is essential to promote good health, discipline, and environmental awareness among students.

“Several schools in Delhi have garbage collection spots or small dumping yards close to their premises, which not only spread foul odour but also create breeding grounds for diseases. Such areas must be shifted away from educational institutions,” Ravinder Indraj said in his letter.

He also emphasised the need to repair and clear footpaths within a one-kilometre radius of all schools, highlighting that many pathways are broken, uneven, or encroached upon, posing safety hazards for children, particularly during school opening and closing hours. He urged that concerned departments and local authorities conduct immediate surveys and ensure footpaths are repaired and made accessible for students and parents.

Responding to the suggestions, Minister Ashish Sood assured that the Education, Urban Development, and

civic departments would be directed to take swift and coordinated action.

The initiative, officials said, is part of a broader effort by the Delhi Government to

make school zones cleaner, safer, and more student-friendly across the capital.