Delhi CM launches cleanliness drive; govt to offer Rs 1 crore monthly reward for best ward
Campaign to cover markets, offices, schools, hospitals, parks and industrial areas
The Delhi government on Monday launched the ‘Delhi Ko Kude Se Azadi-Swachhta Abhiyan 2026’, a citywide cleanliness campaign that will continue till October 2, with an incentive of up to Rs 1 crore every month for the best-performing municipal ward.
Launching the campaign at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) headquarters, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the initiative aimed to make cleanliness a daily habit rather than limit it to periodic drives.
“Cleanliness is not the responsibility of any one department or agency; it is a shared responsibility of every citizen,” Gupta said, calling for the participation of government departments, local bodies, markets, resident welfare associations (RWAs), schools, industries and residents.
Under the ward-level competition, the cleanest ward each month will receive Rs 1 crore, while exceptional performance could fetch additional incentives of up to Rs 2 crore. A ward can receive up to Rs 12 crore from the Chief Minister’s Development Fund in a year, subject to its performance.
The rankings will be based on assessments by an independent agency, official inspections and citizen complaints, including those received through social media. A ward may be disqualified if a garbage-related complaint against it is found to be valid.
Gupta said the campaign would focus on the “four Cs” of waste management: collection, cleaning, conversion and circular economy, with an emphasis on waste segregation, timely collection and scientific processing.
Special cleanliness drives will be held in slum clusters on August 23 and 30 and September 6 and 13. Green waste removal in parks will be undertaken from September 1 to 10, while government hospitals will see cleanliness drives on September 17.
From September 17 to October 2, the ‘Mera School, Sabse Sundar’ competition will focus on cleanliness and beautification of government schools.
The government said 70 mechanical sweeping machines and litter-picker vehicles for every ward were being deployed. It also said 125 secondary collection centres for construction and demolition waste were being developed.
Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood said the campaign sought to change residents’ habits, while Mayor Pravesh Wahi said improved coordination between the government and MCD had strengthened sanitation efforts.
Wahi claimed that the garbage mountains at Okhla and Bhalswa were nearing elimination.
The campaign will cover markets, offices, schools, hospitals, parks and industrial areas. Departments have been directed to nominate nodal officers, maintain photographic records and submit weekly progress reports.
Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra said the campaign was aimed at making cleanliness part of people’s thinking and behaviour, rather than merely improving sanitation infrastructure.
