NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday launched the ‘Delhi Ko Kude Se Azadi-Swachhta Abhiyan 2026’, a city-wide cleanliness campaign that will continue till October 2, with the government aiming to strengthen sanitation system, promote scientific waste management and encourage greater public participation. A brochure detailing the campaign was also released on the occasion.
Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra said the initiative is not limited to improving sanitation infrastructure but sought to make cleanliness part of people’s behaviour and thinking.
Recalling Mahatma Gandhi’s efforts to connect cleanliness with the freedom movement, he said PM Narendra Modi had also called for making cleanliness a national movement in his first Independence Day address after assuming office.
Malhotra said the Delhi government had paid special attention to strengthening the finances of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, enabling it to accelerate sanitation and other civic works.
Gupta said cleanliness is a shared responsibility and could not be left to a single department or agency. The government’s objective, she said, was not merely to conduct periodic cleanliness drives but to make cleanliness an integral part of citizens’ daily lives.
Government departments, local bodies, market associations, resident welfare associations, educational institutions, industrial organisations, voluntary groups and citizens will all be brought together to turn the campaign into a broad-based people’s movement.
Calling garbage and dirt among Delhi’s biggest challenges, Gupta said the large quantity of waste generated daily, coupled with inadequate processing, had resulted in the creation of garbage mountains in the city. She said the government was determined to address the issue and described resolving MCD’s financial difficulties as a priority.
Gupta assured officials that shortage of funds would not be allowed to hinder sanitation work. At the same time, she stressed that officials and elected representatives would have to demonstrate responsibility, commitment and the resolve to deliver results.
As part of the campaign, a cleanliness competition will be held at the ward level for the next 12 months. The cleanest ward each month will receive Rs 1 crore. A ward that continues to perform exceptionally well in the following month can receive an additional incentive of up to Rs 2 crore, with a ward eligible to receive up to Rs 12 crore from CMDF funds over the year.
The awards will be performance-based. Assessment will consider reports from an independent agency, official submissions and complaints received from citizens and through social media. A ward may be disqualified if a garbage-related complaint is established.
Gupta flags off Tiranga Yatra in Connaught Place
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Monday organised a Tiranga Yatra in Connaught Place, with around 6,000 students, employees and citizens participating under the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign. Flagged off by CM Rekha Gupta, the march saw participants carrying the Tricolour and raising patriotic slogans. Gupta said the yatra reflected collective patriotism and resolve to build a ‘Viksit Bharat’.