Delhi govt’s 621 more schools to have private cleaning services

In an effort to ensure cleaner and more hygienic campuses, the Delhi government has revamped the sanitation system in its schools, extending private cleaning services to hundreds of additional institutions across the national capital.

The Delhi Directorate of Education has signed an umbrella agreement with a private organisation to manage sanitation in 621 more schools, adding to the 117 that were already availing such services.

“The restructuring aims to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness in all government schools,” an official said.

“Regular inspections will be carried out by departmental officers to ensure proper implementation of the sanitation contract,” he said.

For schools not covered under private sanitation services, the government has deployed three to four regular sweepers in each institution depending on student enrollment, he said.

Heads of schools have been instructed to monitor the sanitation work closely and ensure that cleaning is completed at least 30 minutes before the start of each school session.

“The cleaning frequency will depend on the strength of students, ranging from twice a day for smaller schools to up to eight times a day for schools with over 1,500 students,” the official explained.

The guidelines also require heads of schools to maintain attendance records of private sweepers and ensure that only female workers are deployed to clean girls’ toilets.

In cases of negligence or non-deployment of workers, the head of the school has been authorised to arrange cleaning work from other sources by paying up to Rs 2,000, which will later be deducted from the contractor’s payment, the official added.

Contractors are required to ensure that sufficient manpower and cleaning materials are provided as per student enrollment. “They are also responsible for immediate replacement in case any worker is absent and must ensure that sweepers wear nameplates or identification badges while on duty,” the official said.

The new system, the official added, is designed to make sanitation in Delhi government schools more efficient, accountable, and regularly monitored — ensuring that students study in a clean and safe environment.