Govt launches citywide cleanliness drive

The Delhi Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, has launched a comprehensive citywide cleanliness campaign, mobilising all Cabinet Ministers and MLAs to participate actively across various districts.

As part of this initiative, Development Minister Kapil Mishra has been assigned the responsibility for North East Delhi. On Saturday, he kickstarted the campaign at Ghonda Chowk, where he joined the cleanliness activities along with Ghonda MLA Ajay Mahawar, the local municipal councillor, and senior administrative officials.

Special cleaning operations have begun at 37 identified garbage hotspots in the region. Minister Mishra and local teams inspected the on ground arrangements and issued directions to ensure consistent improvement.

Expressing gratitude to the local leadership, Mishra said he extended “special gratitude to MLA Ajay Mahawar, the municipal councillor, and DC Abhishek for their dedicated efforts toward the success of this campaign”. He added that “from today, under the leadership of the CM, the entire Cabinet and all MLAs are launching a comprehensive cleanliness campaign in every ward of Delhi. Areas with severe garbage issues will receive special cleaning and continuous monitoring”.

Highlighting his mandate for the region, he added that he had been entrusted with overseeing cleanliness efforts in North East Delhi and the trans-Yamuna regions. He noted that the administration had identified 37 hotspots, stating, “We will visit these places daily to review the cleanliness status and ensure that the campaign progresses consistently and effectively. Daily morning monitoring of these garbage hotspots will be done, and corrective measures will be taken.”

Speaking on security matters, he assured that vigilance remained high. “Terrorist elements may attempt anything out of frustration, but they can neither intimidate Delhi nor affect the nation’s security,” he added.

In his concluding remarks, the Minister criticised previous administrations for overlooking essential civic issues. “But now, all ministers and MLAs will inspect various areas daily and receive morning reports on cleanliness progress. With the cooperation of the municipal corporation, district administration, and local representatives, this cleanliness campaign is a crucial step toward making Delhi clean, safe, and well-functioning,” he said.

Sood warns of strict action on lapses

Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood on Saturday inspected several locations in Ward 95 (Vishnu Garden), Rajouri Garden, as part of the government’s intensified cleanliness review. He visited B-Block, Barat Ghar, the area in front of the J-6 Store, A-Block, the Post Office and the vicinity of the SBI Bank to assess sanitation conditions and hear residents’ grievances.

Sood said, “Today, on the call of the Chief Minister, all ministers are personally monitoring cleanliness and sanitation work across Delhi so that in the coming days, citizens can get a clean and healthy city and we can successfully contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’.”

To strengthen waste management and ensure timely payment to contractors, the Delhi Government has sanctioned Rs 175 crore in special financial assistance to the Municipal Corporation.

Residents complained that garbage often remained uncollected for days and that sanitation workers left tasks incomplete, leading to foul smells and health concerns.

Issuing a stern warning to MC officials, sanitation staff and waste collection agencies, Sood said, “Waste management must be carried out with full readiness and within the scheduled time. If the problems of citizens are not resolved quickly and on time, strict and harsh action will be taken against those responsible.” He also urged residents to send him daily photographs of garbage accumulation or waterlogging.

Calling for collective effort, the minister added, “We all need to move forward together to resolve these problems… With everyone’s efforts, the sanitation system will strengthen and our campaign for pollution control will gain greater momentum.”