India, Aug. 18 -- In a bid to turn cleanliness into a public movement, the Delhi government on Monday launched the 'Delhi Ko Kude Se Azadi-Swachhta Abhiyan 2026', a citywide campaign that will run till October 2, with a monthly reward of up to Rs.1 crore for the cleanest municipal ward. Launching the campaign at the MCD headquarters, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the drive aims to strengthen sanitation, scientific waste management and cleanliness of public spaces while encouraging citizens, RWAs, market associations, educational institutions and voluntary organisations to actively participate. Announcing a year-long ward-level cleanliness competition, Gupta said the best-performing ward each month would receive Rs.1 crore in Chief Minister's Development Fund (CMDF) assistance, while consistently performing wards could earn incentives of up to Rs.12 crore over a year. Also Read - Kalyanwas, Bahapur & Gulabi Bagh to get new PWD housing Advertisement The rankings will be based on independent assessments, official reports and public complaints, including those received through social media. Wards where garbage-related complaints are found may face disqualification. "Cleanliness is not the responsibility of any one department or agency; it is a shared responsibility of every citizen," the chief minister said. She added that the objective was "not merely to run cleanliness drives, but to make cleanliness a part of citizens' daily behaviour and lifestyle." The campaign includes special sanitation drives in JJ clusters, public toilets, parks, hospitals and government schools. Also Read - Yamuna bank to be developed on lines of Sabarmati Riverfront: Min The government also announced the deployment of 70 mechanical road sweepers, additional litter-picker vehicles for every ward and 125 secondary collection centres for construction and demolition waste. Emphasising scientific waste management, Gupta highlighted the four pillars of the campaign, collection, cleaning, conversion and circular economy, stressing segregation at source and converting waste into useful resources. Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra said, "'Delhi Ko Kude Se Azadi' is not limited to sanitation; it is an effort to make cleanliness a part of people's thinking and behaviour." Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood described the campaign as "an effort to change the face of Delhi, citizens' habits and their approach to cleanliness," while Mayor Pravesh Wahi said "improved coordination between the Delhi government and the MCD would strengthen waste management and sanitation across the capital."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.