Delhi Metro Arpan centres collect over 41 tonnes of old clothes

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that the ‘Arpan’ initiative, established at 10 Delhi Metro stations, has collected over 41 tonnes of old clothing as of August 31. A total of 3,940 individuals contributed 41,181.59 kg of garments to the program.

The collected materials are being processed through reuse, upcycling, and recycling. Approximately 4,266 kg have been designated for reuse and upcycling, while 29,424 kg have been sent for recycling. Self-help groups are transforming the textiles into various products, such as rugs, pouches, bags, and key rings, which are then sold at the centres.

The highest volumes of clothing were collected at the Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital station (9,861.40 kg) and the Shalimar Bagh station (9,761.03 kg). Other active locations include Punjabi Bagh West, Shahdara, Mayur Vihar-I, Hauz Khas, Dwarka-Kakrola, Malviya Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, and Mohan Estate.

To expand the program, the Delhi government has proposed opening 10 additional Arpan centres by January 2027. Proposed locations include Model Town, INA, IP Extension, Paschim Vihar West, Rajendra Place, Janakpuri West, Rajouri Garden, Greater Kailash, Dwarka Sector 10, and Chhatarpur metro stations.