Nitin Mehta Chisels Sculpture From Scrap Transforming Alwar Into A Swachh Bharat City
Scrap that once cluttered Alwar’s streets in Rajasthan now tells a story of art, innovation and the Swachh Bharat Mission’s impact on urban spaces.
Published : January 8, 2026 at 4:54 PM IST
Alwar: In a city where discarded metal once meant nothing more than waste, giant sculptures placed at critical junctions now signify creativity and cleanliness. Crafted from junk, these artworks are inspiring Alwar’s residents to see beauty in sustainability.
The sculptures - of tiger, peacock, and camel, created from broken dustbins, old scrap metal, and discarded parts, are now conveying the message of a clean India to the city's residents. And all this is being done by renowned Delhi-based artist Nitin Mehta and his team, whose art has received widespread acclaim in various states of India and abroad. Nitin Mehta's magical art is not only transforming waste into art but also giving new life to the environment.
Mehta says his art is inspired by the famous Rock Garden of Chandigarh. "Having seen the Rock Garden since childhood where all the structures are made from broken utensils, tiles, glass, and scrap metal made me realise that even things considered useless and discarded can become a powerful medium for conveying a message," the artist says for whom the creative journey kicked off pretty early in life.
In 2010, before the Commonwealth Games, he shared some of his ideas with the then Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit. Although the plan couldn't be implemented due to time constraints, Mehta did not give up and continued his efforts.
"The results of his hard work came to fruition in 2016 with the creation of the 'Waste to Wonder Park' in Delhi. This park featured giant replicas of the Seven Wonders of the World made from scrap materials, which became extremely popular with tourists and locals alike. The park generated crores of rupees in revenue for the Delhi Municipal Corporation through ticket sales in just one year. Following this success, Nitin Mehta's team completed several other projects in Delhi and then expanded their work to various cities across the country.
Mehta and his team have created amazing artworks from scrap in several cities, including Ujjain, Gurugram, Gwalior, Jodhpur, Jaipur, and now Alwar. "Our works have found place in countries like Belgium, Germany and Australia," says Mehta, who also explains that wherever he goes, he shares his vision with municipal and district administration officials and creates artworks while keeping local characteristics in mind.
He believes that the large amount of scrap lying around everywhere takes up space, spreads dirt, and serves no purpose. "So basically we give scrap a new lease of life. Using old dustbins, scrap vehicles, screws, machine parts, and other waste materials, we create sculptures of wildlife, historical buildings, and local symbols," informs the artist whose objective is clear - to spread the message of cleanliness and environmental protection. Where scrap was once considered mere waste, these artworks are now turning beautiful with sculptures and inspiring people.
On the project underway in Alwar, Mehta shares that the team has created several magnificent artworks under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission). These include sculptures of a tiger, the map of India, a camel, a sambar deer, a peacock, a woman doing yoga, and a large statue of Nataraja. These artworks are being installed in various parks and public places in the city. The larger sculptures are placed using cranes.
Team member Anurag Pandey said there are trained artists who can create any kind of artwork. "Many of the artworks discussed with the district administration and officials in Alwar have already been created and installed while a few one are still in the process," he adds.
Mehta's initiative has shown how art can help spread the Swachh Bharat mission objective to every citizen. "We are sure people of Alwar must be feeling proud seeing these artworks. They must also be understanding how a city can be transformed through utlising waste or scrap," Mehta says as he signs off.
Also Read:
