The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), under the chairmanship of Delhi Lieutenant Governor T.S. Sandhu, is conducting an extensive month-long 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign across its parks, green spaces, and sports complexes in New Delhi, with a strong emphasis on community participation. The drive, which commenced on 17 September 2026, is part of the broader national Swachhta Hi Seva 2026 initiative and has already collected approximately 2.5 tonnes of waste from sports facilities alone.

Key Initiatives Under the Campaign

The campaign operates through three structured initiatives. 'Children to the Green — Learn, Care & Participate' brings children and students into cleanliness and environmental awareness activities, encouraging a lasting sense of responsibility towards parks, trees, and natural resources. The 'Bin Before Overflow' initiative focuses on regular monitoring and timely emptying of dustbins in public parks, aiming to prevent overflowing bins, littering, and unhygienic conditions.

A third initiative, 'Capital's Promise', reinforces the larger civic commitment to sustained cleanliness and environmental improvement across Delhi's public spaces. Together, the three pillars reflect L-G Sandhu's emphasis on structured, community-driven urban hygiene.

Sports Complexes Covered

According to an official statement, the cleanliness drive has been carried out across 13 facilities, including Saket Sports Complex, Netaji Subhash Sports Complex, Squash and Badminton Stadium, Hari Nagar Sports Complex, Paschim Vihar Sports Complex, Dwarka Sports Complexes in Sectors 11 and 17, Major Dhyan Chand Sports Complex, Rashtriya Swabhiman Khel Parisar, Poorv Delhi Khel Parisar, Chilla Sports Complex, Yamuna Sports Complex, Qutab Golf Course, and DDA Lake View Golf Course.

Activities at these venues included cleaning and sanitation of sporting and recreational facilities, parking areas, landscaped zones, and other public-use areas.

Plastic Curbs and Infrastructure Upgrades

As part of the drive, single-use plastic bottles have been prohibited within sports complexes. Water dispensers and steel dustbins have been installed as alternatives, while new twin dustbins — in green and blue — have been placed to facilitate segregation of wet and dry waste. Anti-littering signage has also been put up across these venues, reinforcing behavioural change alongside physical infrastructure improvements.

Community Participation and Scale

The campaign has mobilised DDA officials and staff alongside 75 resident welfare associations, students, children, park users, and people associated with public spaces. This Jan Bhagidari (public participation) approach is central to the campaign's design, aiming to build a culture of cleanliness rather than rely solely on top-down enforcement.

With the campaign set to run through mid-October, further plantation, awareness, and sanitation drives are scheduled across DDA's broader network of parks and green spaces in the capital.