Delhi Govt Bans Single-Use Plastic In Schools, Markets Amid Citywide Cleanliness Drive

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has initiated a 20-day intense cleanliness blitz to improve sanitation in the national capital. The project, which begins on Friday, will focus on cleaning roads and public spaces twice a day. The government's efforts are aimed at implementing large-scale garbage segregation, eliminating encroachments, and ensuring constant monitoring throughout the campaign.

The statement came following a high-level conference at Raj Niwas hosted by Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, which included district magistrates, deputy commissioners, DCPs, and department heads. In a press conference, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta emphasised the broad scope of the cleaning campaign, stating that "every religious place, market, and school has been directed to ban single-use plastic."

The program also involves a crackdown on wall defacing with posters or graffiti, which will be penalised. All high officials, including district magistrates and deputy commissioners, would be held accountable for any shortcomings in the cleanliness campaign.

CM Gupta emphasised the significance of the partnership between the BJP-led national government, the state government, and municipal control, describing it as a watershed moment for Delhi. "This triple-engine government will break the deadlock of years and turn Prime Minister Modi's vision of a Swachh Bharat into a cleaner, greener, and more beautiful Delhi," she told reporters.

The increasing emphasis on cleanliness follows the Bharatiya Janata Party's decisive victory in the February Delhi Assembly elections. With the BJP winning 48 of 70 seats, sanitation became a prominent theme during the campaign, emphasising the necessity of this cleanliness drive.