Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday, 2 October 2026 joined a cleanliness drive in the Azadpur area of New Delhi under the 'Seva Mera Yogdan' campaign, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti, and called for clear accountability among municipal authorities over the capital's sanitation gaps.

Why Azadpur Was Chosen

Gupta said she had deliberately selected the Azadpur site to spotlight a long-standing jurisdictional dispute between civic bodies. Keshav Puram zone had maintained the area fell outside its limits, while the Civil Lines zone argued its boundary had not yet begun there — leaving the stretch effectively unattended.

'At a location facing such a severe garbage issue where both zones disown responsibility, I decided to call the Commissioner directly to clarify whose jurisdiction this area actually falls under. We need clear accountability because this is no way to work,' she said, addressing the gathering.

Describing the spot as a 'no man's land', Gupta noted that the back gate of the Azadpur mandi routinely accumulated large quantities of garbage. 'When discussions took place regarding cleanliness programmes across various locations in Delhi, I specifically chose this location to point it out to the Commissioner,' she added.

Visible Improvements Cited Over One Year

The Chief Minister acknowledged measurable progress in the area since her government took charge. She noted that dust levels had come down, road quality had improved, and the low-lying stretch of Adarsh Nagar — prone to waterlogging — did not flood during the current monsoon season.

'Today, I am seeing the difference in one year. We have cleaned the area, dust has been reduced, and these roads used to sink, but now they don't. I want to congratulate the PWD for ensuring that the area did not sink this season,' Gupta said. She specifically called out Adarsh Nagar, saying, 'It did not sink this time.'

The Broader Campaign Context

The 'Seva Mera Yogdan' campaign is part of 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan', a month-long initiative running from 17 September to 17 October marking 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public service and aligned with the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision. The drive also falls within 'Seva Pakhwada' — a 15-day period from 17 September to 2 October traditionally tied to service activities around the Prime Minister's birthday and concluding on Gandhi Jayanti.

Gupta, in a post on X, described the cleanliness drive as a continuation of the Swachh Bharat Mission, launched 12 years ago under Modi's leadership. 'This campaign has established cleanliness not merely as a matter of administration, but as a civic duty and a value of life,' she wrote.

Who Was Present

The event was attended by MLA Rajkumar Bhatia, Northern Zone Ward Committee Chairman Gulab Singh Rathore, Municipal Councillor Mukesh Goyal, along with Suman Sharma, Ajay Khatana, and other local representatives.

With jurisdiction disputes now formally flagged to the municipal commissioner, the episode is likely to put pressure on civic bodies to resolve boundary ambiguities before the next sanitation audit.