Delhi CM orders night-time cleaning drive ahead of festivals; warns action against negligence

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to undertake night-time cleaning drives across major markets and residential colonies ahead of the festive season, warning that negligence in maintaining cleanliness would not be tolerated.

Chairing a high-level review meeting attended by Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, Mayor Parvesh Vahi, Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma and senior MCD officials, Gupta expressed dissatisfaction over the sanitation situation in several parts of the national capital.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Gupta instructed the departments and agencies concerned to immediately address shortcomings in waste management, remove accumulated garbage and ensure regular cleaning of public spaces.

𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀

The Chief Minister directed the civic body to introduce night-time sanitation operations in residential colonies, major markets and prominent shopping areas to ensure that cleanliness was maintained during peak daytime activity.

She said cleaning these areas at night would minimise inconvenience to residents and shoppers while allowing sanitation teams to work more effectively.

Gupta also instructed the mayor and municipal commissioner to accelerate sanitation operations ahead of the festivals by deploying adequate manpower.

Additional workers could be hired, if necessary, to support the night-time cleaning drives, the CMO statement said.

The Chief Minister stressed that comprehensive improvements in the capital's sanitation arrangements must be completed before the festivals.

𝗖𝗠 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀

During the meeting, Gupta pointed out that complaints were being received about heaps of garbage remaining unattended and delays in waste collection in several localities.

She expressed concern that the impact of sanitation efforts was not sufficiently visible on the ground, particularly in major commercial centres and shopping districts.

Officials were directed to take public complaints seriously and initiate immediate corrective measures.

Gupta further instructed the MCD to remove garbage, construction debris and other waste from roads, intersections, flyovers, markets, residential neighbourhoods and public spaces without delay.

She emphasised that the improvement in sanitation should be clearly noticeable across the city during the festive period.

𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

The Chief Minister directed senior officials to personally inspect cleanliness arrangements in their respective jurisdictions and ensure immediate rectification of deficiencies.

She said administrative reviews and written reports alone would not produce meaningful improvements unless officials monitored implementation on the ground.

"Officers will have to go into the field and ensure that the instructions given are being followed. Wherever deficiencies are found, immediate solutions should be provided in coordination with the concerned agencies," Gupta said.

The Chief Minister also called for stronger coordination among civic agencies to ensure that sanitation-related complaints were addressed promptly.

𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵

Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood instructed municipal officials to adopt new technologies to improve waste management and eliminate garbage accumulation across Delhi.

He stressed the need for effective implementation of the cleaning campaign and warned that action would be initiated against officials found negligent in their responsibilities.

Sood said the objective was to ensure visible improvements in cleanliness in every part of the capital during the festive season.

The government has directed the MCD to prioritise sanitation in crowded commercial areas and residential neighbourhoods while strengthening field-level monitoring of cleaning operations.