Department of Capital Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration with Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban organised a workshop on Planning a Shared Roadmap for Clean Delhi, bringing together sanitation inspectors, supervisors, urban local body officials and key stakeholders to collectively deliberate on practical solutions for making the national capital cleaner, healthier and more liveable. Ms. D. Thara, Secretary, Department of Capital Development, MoHUA, along with senior officials from NDMC, MCD, DDA, and MoHUA, participated in the workshop.
The workshop, “Planning a Shared Roadmap for Clean Delhi,” was envisioned to bring stakeholders together to understand these challenges and co-create practical solutions. For the first time, functionaries from the top to the lowest level, came together on a common platform to deliberate on critical issues and chart a collective path towards a cleaner Delhi.
Sanitation staff, being at the forefront of service delivery, are the ones who are able to share first-hand insights into everyday operational challenges, enabling stakeholders to brainstorm and ideate practical, on-ground solutions alongside policy interventions. An online digital poll was conducted among the participants to identify key challenges affecting cleanliness in Delhi and gather insights from stakeholders working at the grassroots level. The exercise provided valuable feedback on operational gaps, citizen behaviour, service delivery challenges and opportunities for improvement.
As a mark of appreciation for their exemplary contribution towards urban sanitation, the invited Sanitary Inspectors and Supervisors were felicitated for their dedicated efforts in maintaining cleanliness across the city. The workshop commenced with an inspiring motivational address by the distinguished spiritual leader BK Hussain from Brahma Kumaris.
A major highlight of the workshop was an extensive interactive discussion centred around ten critical questions aimed at developing a collective roadmap for a Clean Delhi. The deliberations focused on some of the most pressing urban sanitation challenges, including the reasons Delhi continues to struggle with visible cleanliness despite significant investments and efforts; strategies for transitioning towards a bin-less city through more efficient and frequent door-to-door waste collection; recurring Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) and measures to prevent littering and waste from entering water bodies; and ensuring that public toilets remain clean, safe and functional throughout the day. The discussions also explored ways to improve citizen grievance redressal systems. Best practices were highlighted as success stories while also sharing photographs & incidents requiring focussed efforts and targeted interventions.
The deliberations brought together perspectives from sanitation workers, inspectors, supervisors, urban local body representatives and policymakers, fostering a collaborative dialogue on strengthening urban sanitation systems and enhancing accountability for improving visible cleanliness in Delhi.
Addressing the gathering, Ms. D. Thara, Secretary, DoCD, MoHUA, congratulated the Sanitary Inspectors and Supervisors for their tireless efforts and commitment towards improving cleanliness standards across Delhi. She said, “The most vital part of any Municipality is its sanitation workforce – the Sanitation Inspectors and staff. While a doctor provides medicine after diagnosis, we are the team that works before the doctor. By ensuring cleanliness and sanitation for all, we prevent disease. We are the true givers of health to society, as our Swachhata work reduces illness and enables citizens to lead a healthier, higher quality of life.”
The workshop concluded with a shared commitment from all stakeholders to work collectively towards implementing practical, citizen-centric and results-oriented measures that will contribute to making Delhi cleaner.