Delhi man takes on filthy Munak Canal, leads massive cleanup mission

The team has removed plastic, puja material, debris and other waste from the canal and its banks. Vinay alone has removed more than 2,500 idols from the water, including several idols recovered after the recent Ganesh Visarjan.Vinay Das began the cleanup campaign after he saw idols of gods and goddesses being immersed in the canal. (Screen grabs: ITG)New Delhi,Sep 28, 2026 19:50 ISTFor years, Delhi’s Munak Canal has been littered with plastic, debris and idols immersed by devotees. But a young man from the city has taken it upon himself to clean the canal, working along with hundreds of children and young volunteers.Vinay Das began the cleanup campaign after he saw idols of gods and goddesses being immersed in the canal. Disturbed by what he witnessed, he started working to remove the religious idols and other waste dumped in and around the canal.What began with around 150 children has now grown into a campaign involving more than 1,600 children and youngsters, including around 350 active volunteers. Working in different groups, the volunteers have so far cleaned stretches covering around three kilometres of the Munak Canal.The team has removed plastic, puja material, debris and other waste from the canal and its banks. Vinay alone has removed more than 2,500 idols from the water, including several idols recovered after the recent Ganesh Visarjan. The cleanup drives have also yielded some unusual finds. During one recent operation, the team discovered a Shivalinga weighing around 30 to 35 kilograms buried among the garbage. Hundreds of other religious idols and worship materials have also been recovered.The work, however, comes with its own risks. Volunteers have encountered broken glass, needles and other hazardous material while clearing the waste. Vinay and members of his team have suffered injuries several times. On one occasion, a chemical leaking from a garbage-filled sack caused blisters on Vinay’s hands. Vinay comes from a modest background. His father worked as a peon, and Vinay started working at the age of seven to support his education.Despite the dangers, Vinay Das has continued the campaign and hopes the canal will be cleaner ahead of Chhath Puja this year.- Ends(With inputs from Manish Chaurasiya)