Delhi to start month-long drive in August to get rid of garbage: CM

Delhi government to launch a month-long "Freedom from Garbage" campaign from August 1, urging citizen participation for a cleaner city.

The Delhi government will launch a month-long citywide campaign aimed at freeing the Capital of garbage, starting from August 1, as part of this year’s Independence Day celebrations, chief minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The “Delhi’s Freedom from Garbage – Cleanliness Drive” will run till August 31 and will focus on mobilising collective citizen participation to rid the city of garbage and promote hygiene. The CM urged all residents to join the drive and take personal responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean.

A meeting will also be held on July 29 at the Civic Centre where ministers, MPs, councillors and association representatives will finalise responsibilities to ensure the smooth execution of the campaign.

Besides, all departments of the Delhi government will take part in the drive, and so will Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), market associations, school and college students, and other institutions. To encourage public participation, a dedicated online portal will also be launched.

During a high-level meeting held at the Secretariat on Friday, the CM reviewed preparations for the campaign and said: “August is celebrated as the month of India’s Independence, and the government has resolved that this August, Delhi will achieve freedom from garbage.”

“In addition to engaging the general public, special measures would be taken to ensure the participation of RWAs, market associations, temple committees, school and college students, and all sections of society, so that the entire city adopts the ‘Delhi’s Freedom from Garbage – Cleanliness Drive’ as its own. The campaign will place particular focus on schools, government offices and hospitals, with targeted efforts to clear long-accumulated waste and unused items from storerooms. It will also cover vegetable and fruit markets, industrial areas, bus terminals and depots. All ministers of the Delhi Government, MLAs, MPs and municipal councillors will participate in the campaign and run initiatives to increase citizen involvement,” the CM said.

Special programmes under the campaign will be held every Saturday and Sunday throughout August. Alongside wide publicity through multiple channels, a dedicated online portal will allow residents to upload ‘before and after’ photographs of cleaned sites to showcase their contribution.