Overview

• Uttar Pradesh minister Dharampal Singh announced plans to develop a machine in Meerut that converts wet garbage into gold, describing it as a step toward sustainable waste management.
• Singh stated that the machine will use wet drain waste as feedstock, but admitted that technical difficulties are delaying its completion.
• The proposal has gained widespread attention on social media, with critics mocking the claim and drawing parallels to a viral 2017 political gaffe involving a 'potato-to-gold' machine.
• Scientific skepticism surrounds the feasibility of the project, with comparisons made to CERN’s experiments that produced fleeting gold nuclei under highly controlled conditions.
• The minister defended the initiative as a dual solution for urban waste management and economic benefit, despite the backlash and ongoing challenges.