Delhi leaders join cleanliness drive under Seva Pakhwada

Marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday celebrations, Delhi witnessed a massive cleanliness drive on Tuesday under the ongoing Seva Pakhwada campaign. The Delhi Government, in collaboration with the state BJP, organised sanitation activities at 71 locations across the city, with participation from ministers, MPs, MLAs, councillors, social groups and residents.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta led the campaign from Shalimar Bagh, personally sweeping streets, removing old posters, and planting trees along the Ring Road.

“Cleanliness is not just a task, but a way of life. Until we make it a habit, the dream of a clean Delhi and a clean India will remain incomplete,” she said. Gupta urged citizens not to deface public spaces with wall writings or posters, calling such practices “a serious offence that spoils the city’s beauty.”

Gupta stressed that sanitation should be seen as a continuous process. “Tobacco packets, water bottles, and disposable plates are making our streets dirty. Every citizen, institution and representative must contribute daily to keep Delhi clean and green,” she said.

Parallel drives were led by BJP state president Virendra Sachdeva near ITO flyover, Union Minister Harsh Malhotra at the Iron Bridge, and MPs Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Yogendra Chandolia, and Kamaljeet Sehrawat in Sarai Kale Khan, Kashmere Gate, and Naraina, respectively.

Cabinet Ministers Ravinder Indraj Singh, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ashish Sood and Pankaj Singh also took part in the campaign, joining residents and sanitation workers to collect litter and spread awareness. “Careless disposal of plastic bottles and wrappers not only dirties the city but also harms health.

Cleanliness ensures well-being and reduces healthcare costs,” Ravinder Indraj Singh said. Sood said, “Until now, the areas under and around flyovers often remained neglected, as sanitation workers quietly dumped waste there and moved on. Today, hundreds of volunteers participated in shramdaan (voluntary labour) to completely clean up these neglected spaces and make them as clean as the courtyards of our homes. With this spirit of public service, we are serving the citizens of Delhi.”

Sachdeva echoed the sentiment, urging people to make cleanliness a part of daily life. “If we truly want a clean and beautiful Delhi, it cannot made a one day affair, it must become a habit,” he said

The campaign, part of the fortnight-long Seva Pakhwada, being observed from September 17 to October 2, seeks to reinforce the vision of Swachh Bharat as a people’s movement while promoting public welfare initiatives across the city.