Delhi's Cleanest Ward to Receive Rs 1 Crore Monthly Reward Under New Scheme

Delhi’s cleanest municipal ward could receive a reward of ₹1 crore every month under a new 12-month cleanliness competition announced by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday. However, wards will need to maintain a consistently high standard of cleanliness, as complaints related to garbage could affect their chances of winning. The winning ward each month will be selected based on assessments from an independent agency, reports prepared by government officials, and complaints or feedback submitted by residents, including issues raised through social media.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the ward ranked first for cleanliness each month will receive ₹1 crore from CMDF funds. A ward that manages to win every month could therefore receive up to ₹12 crore over the course of the year. Gupta announced the competition while launching the ‘Delhi Ko Kude Se Azadi-Swachhta Abhiyan 2026’ at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi headquarters. The wider cleanliness campaign will continue until October 2, while the ward-level competition will run for 12 months.

The Chief Minister said the financial reward would be directly linked to performance and warned that garbage-related complaints could impact a ward’s eligibility. She also stressed that maintaining cleanliness is not the responsibility of a single department or agency but requires the participation of citizens as well. The campaign will focus on the government’s “Four Cs” approach to waste management — collection, cleaning, conversion and circular economy. The programme will promote waste segregation at source, improve garbage collection from waste points, strengthen processing and disposal systems and address locations where waste continues to accumulate.

Delhi has continued to struggle with garbage management and waste processing, issues that have contributed to the growth of the city’s landfill sites. The new campaign is intended to address these challenges through stronger monitoring and greater accountability. Several special cleanliness drives have also been planned across the capital. Cleanliness campaigns in slum clusters will take place on August 23 and 30 and September 6 and 13, while public toilets will receive additional cleaning attention on weekends. Parks will undergo green-waste removal between September 1 and 10, and a dedicated cleanliness drive for government hospitals is scheduled for September 17.

Government schools will participate in the ‘Mera School, Sabse Sundar’ competition from September 17 to October 2. Authorities will also introduce a zero-waste campus initiative in schools as part of the broader cleanliness campaign. The government is additionally working on expanding its sanitation infrastructure. Around 70 mechanical sweeping machines, more litter-picker vehicles for municipal wards and 125 secondary collection centres for construction and demolition waste are being developed.

The Urban Development Department has asked the MCD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board and other concerned agencies to prepare detailed cleanliness action plans covering markets, hospitals, schools, industrial areas and other public spaces. The programme will also cover roads, footpaths, back lanes, community centres, public toilets and areas near railway tracks and the Ring Road. Officials have been directed to maintain photographic records of completed cleanliness work and submit progress reports to the Urban Development Department every Monday. The year-long competition is expected to bring greater pressure on municipal wards to maintain sanitation standards consistently. With ₹1 crore at stake every month, authorities are hoping the financial incentive will encourage stronger monitoring, faster garbage removal and greater public participation in keeping Delhi clean.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from NDTV.