The ambitious ‘Freedom from Garbage’ campaign launched by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has evoked a mixed response. Many believe that the campaign has helped to clean the city, as tonnes of garbage lying unattended for years have been lifted from various nooks and corners of the city. Whereas, a section of the city believes that the initiative is yet to make a noticeable difference on the ground.
Rolled out on August 1 with a deadline of August 31, the drive aimed to transform Delhi into a cleaner, garbage-free city. However, with limited improvements visible, the city government has decided to extend the drive till October 2. The municipal bodies stated that the extension was meant to “intensify efforts” and ensure “wider public participation”. However, critics argue that the decision reflects the campaign’s underwhelming performance in its initial phase. “If the initiative had shown solid progress, there would have been no need for an extension,” said a local civic activist.
Despite the government’s claims of regular cleaning drives, piles of garbage near residential colonies, markets, and public spaces continue to raise questions about the campaign’s implementation and oversight.
Municipal officials maintain that the initiative is a work in progress and that more time is needed to address the longstanding waste disposal issues in a city as large and complex as Delhi.With just over a month remaining, all eyes are now on whether the renewed efforts will bring about the intended transformation — or if the campaign will end up as another unfulfilled promise in the capital’s ongoing battle with waste.
August pledge
In an inspiring effort to mark the Independence Day month, the CM launched a powerful citywide campaign called “Delhi’s Freedom from Garbage”, or “Delhi Ko Koode Se Azaadi”. Running from August 1 to August 31, the month‑long drive aimed to make every part of the capital clean and garbage‑free. In a high‑level review meeting convened by the CM, she said, “This August, Delhi will achieve freedom from garbage”—a symbolic tie‑in to the spirit of India’s independence.
Key features of the campaign
Wider participation: Residential groups, markets, schools, hospitals, colleges, RWAs, temple committees, and students were invited to join.
Dedicated weekends: Special clean‑up events every Saturday and Sunday took place throughout August to boost citizen engagement.
Digital encouragement: An online portal was launched asking residents to share ‘before and after’ photos of cleaned areas, inspiring others with visible results.
Focus on vulnerable zones: Slum clusters, unauthorised colonies, markets, bus depots, vegetable markets, industrial areas, schools, and hospitals receive special attention.
Coordinated efforts
The campaign’s success relied on strong leadership from elected representatives and administrative bodies. Ministers and MLAs launched clean-ups in their constituencies, with Education and Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood emphasising youth participation.
Councillors and the mayor spearheaded local drives, mobilising RWAs, market groups, schools, and NGOs for awareness and logistics. Meanwhile, MCD officials and municipal staff handled waste collection, sweeping, drainage cleaning, and de-clogging, with support from the PWD.
The campaign in a nutshell
The “Freedom from Garbage” campaign has been designed around a “triple engine” model of governance, where the Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and the Centre were working in unison, avoiding the usual bureaucratic formalities. The MCD is at the heart of this drive, tasked with bringing the vision to life on the ground.
Early in August, nearly 200 tonnes of garbage were swiftly cleared from railway tracks across the Central, Karol Bagh, Civil Lines, Narela, and Keshav Puram zones, with the effort involving close coordination with Railways, NGOs, RWAs, religious groups, and local residents. This collaborative approach has helped spread awareness about responsible waste disposal, especially in vulnerable areas near railway lines.
At a larger scale, MCD is tackling the city’s towering legacy landfills at Okhla, Ghazipur, and Bhalswa, using biomining and landfill processing to flatten garbage mounds that have accumulated for decades. Parallel efforts are underway to expand waste-to-energy capacity, with projects aimed at raising processing capability beyond the current 7,300 MT per day, supported by central funding.
Alongside these measures, MCD is also expanding zero-waste colonies under the long-term Swachhta Abhiyan. Already, 633 colonies follow this model, and plans are afoot to add 200 more to the list by 2027.
These initiatives reflect a two-pronged strategy which is addressing immediate clean-ups while building sustainable systems to prevent future waste accumulation.
The campaign’s impact is already visible. Railway tracks in major zones are noticeably cleaner, and public participation is reinforcing better sanitation practices.
At Okhla, biomining has begun to reduce the garbage mountain, with saplings planted on reclaimed land. Processing capacity for legacy waste at landfills has also increased significantly, rising from 15,000 MT per day to 25,000 MT per day—showing measurable progress in tackling the accumulated waste.
Yet, challenges remain. Remote slum clusters and informal settlements are still only partially covered, though weekend drives are being extended to reach them. Peripheral industrial belts and bus depots continue to need focused clean-ups, while older market areas and narrow lanes often demand more intensive interventions than routine drives can provide.
On ground reality
In North Delhi’s Karol Bagh, where the campaign’s impact is most visible, several shopkeepers welcomed the change but admitted that the efforts still feel “temporary”. Standing outside his garment shop near Ajmal Khan Road, Manoj Kumar said, “For the first time in years, we saw MCD trucks lifting garbage from the service lanes that were always ignored. But a week later, the same problem crept back; plastic wrappers and rotten trash were back in the drains.” According to him, “unless the clean-up is followed by daily collection and penalties for littering, the lanes will return to their old state.”
In Civil Lines, where municipal teams removed heaps of garbage from railway-adjacent areas, locals said the initiative has instilled a sense of discipline. Meera Sharma, a retired schoolteacher said that the transformation is more cosmetic than systemic: “It looks neat when the trucks leave, but the city cannot be cleaned by campaigns—it requires culture change.”
Lajpat Nagar presented a different story. The popular Central Market, which sees thousands of daily visitors, continues to struggle with overflowing bins and littered food wrappers. College student Radhika Bansal, who frequents the market, said, “Every Saturday I see groups of volunteers sweeping the streets, which is inspiring. But by Sunday evening, the garbage piles up again. Vendors don’t cooperate much, and shopkeepers hardly bother segregating waste.” Market associations have demanded stricter enforcement of penalties on shopkeepers and street hawkers who casually dispose of waste.
In East Delhi’s Anand Vihar, residents pointed to an improvement in garbage lifting but remained frustrated with drains clogged by plastic and debris. “The garbage is collected more frequently now, but open drains are untouched. When it rains, the filth overflows right onto the streets,” said Kamal Yadav, who runs a printing press near the bus terminal. According to him, the campaign has addressed surface-level garbage but missed out on deeper sanitation concerns. The picture was mixed in slum clusters and unauthorised colonies such as Sangam Vihar. Residents there said the campaign largely bypassed them. “No one came to clean our galli,” said Seema Devi, a domestic worker. “We have to throw garbage in an open corner because no dustbins or trucks come here regularly.”
Residents of Anna Nagar, a small slum cluster in IP Estate, also reported that the area was untouched by the campaign. “We have grown up alongside the garbage. “No campaign has ever cleaned anything here,” said auto-rickshaw driver Devesh Kumar. “Even when the G-20 was held nearby, our slum was simply covered from the view, rather than cleaned up.”
At the Ghazipur landfill, where legacy waste continues to tower over neighbourhoods, Abdul Rahman, who runs a meat shop nearby said “Every chief minister promises to remove the mountain, but it is still here.”
In industrial zones such as Mayapuri, the campaign has barely scratched the surface. “Nobody comes here. All the clean-up drives happen where TV cameras are,” alleged Rakesh Verma, a worker at a metal workshop.
At Kashmere Gate ISBT, traveller Deepa Kumari said, “On August 15, the place looked very clean with banners of the campaign. But now it is back to overflowing bins and plastic on the floors.”
For many, the campaign’s visibility was strong during Independence Day celebrations but waned immediately afterwards. Even in central areas like Connaught Place, the heart of Delhi, sanitation efforts were mixed. Interestingly, in parts of South Delhi like Vasant Kunj, the campaign received genuine appreciation. Locals reported that for the first time, garbage was collected door-to-door for an entire month without a break.
The ground situation across Delhi thus shows both achievements and gaps. While some areas have seen visible improvements and a spirit of collective responsibility, others remain untouched or only superficially addressed. The extension of the campaign till October 2 has raised hopes that neglected zones will now be covered. Yet, scepticism lingers among residents who feel that the initiative is too event-driven and not embedded into daily governance. and verification.
Beyond the August campaign
Looking ahead, sustaining the movement will depend on extending efforts beyond August. Regular weekend clean-up drives, combined with active community monitoring, will be crucial to reaching underserved areas such as slum clusters, industrial belts, and older market zones. Strengthening local ownership, encouraging RWAs and youth groups to take the lead, and embedding zero waste practices in everyday life will help keep the momentum alive.
By aligning short-term action with long-term cultural change, the campaign can transform into a lasting movement for a cleaner and healthier Delhi. “Delhi’s Freedom from Garbage” is more than just a cleanliness campaign—it’s a city‑wide movement demanding collective action. The visible gains in reduced waste at tracks, reclaimed landfill land, zero‑waste colonies, and increased waste‑processing capacity—show that Delhi is getting cleaner, step by step.
However, the campaign’s long‑term success depends on sustaining momentum in pockets still underserved, scaling behavioural change across the city, and building infrastructure that prevents garbage from piling up again. As the campaign continues into September, Delhi has the chance to turn a one‑month push into lasting civic pride and urban transformation.