CM Rekha Gupta Leads Swachhata Shramdaan at Kamla Nehru Ridge
Synopsis
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta led a SwachhataHiSeva Shramdaan at Kamla Nehru Ridge on October 1, 2026, under the SevaSankalpAbhiyan and the 'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath' call, framing the drive as an extension of PM Modi's Jan Bhagidari vision for a cleaner Delhi.
Key Takeaways
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta participated in a SwachhataHiSeva Shramdaan at Kamla Nehru Ridge on 1 October 2026 .
The drive was organised under the #SevaSankalpAbhiyan national voluntary service campaign.
The mobilisation call was 'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath' — one day, one hour, together.
CM Gupta credited PM Narendra Modi with transforming cleanliness from a government programme into a people's movement.
The campaign emphasises Jan Bhagidari (people's participation) and citizen-led Shramdaan ahead of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 .
Kamla Nehru Ridge is one of Delhi's oldest green belts, making the site ecologically significant beyond the cleanliness focus.
On the first day of October, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta joined citizens at Kamla Nehru Ridge for a mass cleanliness drive under the SwachhataHiSeva campaign — turning a forested urban lung of the capital into the stage for a quiet but pointed act of civic renewal.
One hour, one mission, one ridge
The drive was framed around the rallying call 'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath' — 'One Day, One Hour, Together' — the signature mobilisation formula of the SwachhataHiSeva Shramdaan initiative. CM Gupta described it as carrying forward the spirit of Jan Bhagidari, or people's participation, a theme that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently placed at the centre of the Swachh Bharat movement since its launch.
The event fell under the broader #SevaSankalpAbhiyan, a national campaign that channels voluntary public service across sectors. Kamla Nehru Ridge — one of Delhi's oldest green belts, stretching through north Delhi — served as the venue, lending the drive an ecological dimension beyond straightforward cleanliness: the ridge is both a biodiversity corridor and a cooling green buffer for a city that battles heat and air quality year-round.
Swachh Bharat's evolution: from scheme to movement
CM Gupta's post explicitly credited PM Modi with transforming cleanliness 'from a government programme into a people's movement' — language that underlines the political and policy continuity the BJP-led administration in Delhi is keen to demonstrate. The SwachhataHiSeva campaign, held annually in the run-up to Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, is designed precisely as a bridge between institutional policy and grassroots action, asking ordinary citizens to contribute labour — Shramdaan — rather than just awareness.
For Delhi, a city that has seen years of political contestation over civic services, a ruling chief minister personally participating in a public cleanliness drive carries a visible signalling value: governance through presence, not just announcement.
Point of View
Letting the administration signal concern for urban ecology alongside cleanliness. The 'Jan Bhagidari' framing is also strategically significant: it shifts ownership of civic outcomes toward citizens, which both broadens the campaign's appeal and distributes accountability. In a city where civic governance has long been a political flashpoint, the optics of a chief minister wielding a broom carry weight beyond a single Saturday morning.
NationPress
1 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SwachhataHiSeva Shramdaan?
SwachhataHiSeva Shramdaan is an annual cleanliness campaign under the Swachh Bharat mission where citizens are invited to contribute voluntary labour — Shramdaan — for cleanliness drives, typically held in September-October ahead of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2.
Where is Kamla Nehru Ridge in Delhi?
Kamla Nehru Ridge is one of Delhi's oldest and largest green belts, located in north Delhi. It functions as a biodiversity corridor and an important green buffer for the city.
What is SevaSankalpAbhiyan?
SevaSankalpAbhiyan is a national campaign that mobilises citizens and public figures for voluntary service across sectors, including cleanliness, health, and community welfare, typically tied to key national dates.
What does 'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath' mean?
'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath' translates to 'One Day, One Hour, Together' — the mobilisation slogan for the SwachhataHiSeva Shramdaan drives, asking participants to give one hour of voluntary effort on a single day.
What is Jan Bhagidari in the context of Swachh Bharat?
Jan Bhagidari means 'people's participation' and is the core philosophy behind PM Modi's Swachh Bharat mission — the idea that lasting cleanliness requires citizen ownership, not just government enforcement or infrastructure.
