New Delhi, Sept. 3 -- Garbage spilling out of dhalaos on to roads. Commuters stuck in traffic jams. Heaps of waste raising a stink in public spaces. Cows and dogs feeding on exposed food waste, overflowing sites because of a shortage of bins, and informal waste-pickers working without formal integration.

Even as the Delhi government celebrates "Delhi ko kude se azadi - Swachhta Abhiyan 2026" from August 17 to October 2, large parts of the Capital are drowning in garbage.

Dhalaos, the primary garbage enclosures within neighbourhoods, were originally intended as stop-gap collection points. But many have now become eyesores, with waste spilling on to streets, creating a stench and adding to traffic problems.

The situation is particularly ...