Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to begin night-time cleaning in residential colonies and major markets, deploy additional sanitation staff and remove garbage dumps before the festive season. The directions were issued at a high-level meeting at the Delhi Secretariat on Wednesday as the government sought visible improvements in cleanliness across the Capital.
The meeting was attended by Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, Delhi Mayor Parvesh Wahi, Chief Secretary Rajiv Verma, Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar and senior officials from the departments and agencies concerned. Gupta instructed civic authorities to intensify cleanliness drives, streamline waste collection and ensure regular cleaning of public spaces.
The Chief Minister said complaints had been received from several areas about heaps of garbage and delays in collection. She directed the mayor and municipal commissioner to immediately deploy additional staff in locations where manpower was inadequate and to hire more workers if required for night-time operations.
The night-cleaning plan will cover residential colonies, key markets and other public spaces. Gupta said cleaning these areas after peak daytime movement could help maintain sanitation during the day, when public activity is higher. She directed officials to ensure that improvements in cleanliness were visible across Delhi before the festivals.
The instructions also cover the removal of garbage, construction debris and other waste from roads, intersections, flyovers, markets, residential areas and public places. Gupta emphasised that sweeping alone would not be sufficient if collected waste was not removed on time, warning that delays could lead to waste accumulating again.
Senior officials were asked to personally inspect sanitation arrangements in their respective areas and address shortcomings without delay. Gupta said meetings and reports would not improve conditions unless officials visited the ground and ensured that directions were being implemented. She also called for greater use of technology to monitor sanitation work and make the results of cleanliness drives visible.
Sood separately directed civic officials to use new technology to improve sanitation and eliminate garbage dumps across the city. He said residents expected their homes, neighbourhoods, markets and the wider city to remain clean during the festive period. The government has said that the cleanliness drive and staff deployment should be implemented immediately, with visible improvements expected before the festivals.
