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‘Is this civic sense?’: Viral video of ‘clean’ dustbins amid piles of garbage in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk sparks internet fury

The video captures early morning scenes in Chandni Chowk when the shops are shut, with fewer or no commuters along the roadside

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 15, 2026 10:43 AM IST

The cyclist highlight that the dustbins are clean, while the garbage is piled up outside the bins (Image source: @SurajKrBauddh/X)

Amid public outcry over worsening air quality in New Delhi, a video of a cyclist drawing attention to the heavy littering in the national capital’s popular shopping hub, Chandni Chowk, has sparked online backlash.

Shared by Vaibhav Malik, the now-viral clip highlights piles of garbage scattered in the area.

The video captures early morning scenes when the shops are shut, with fewer or no commuters along the roadside. “We came to Chandni Chowk, look at it. How dirty it is?” Malik said. He goes on to highlight that the dustbins are clean, while the garbage is piled up outside the bins. “Is this the civic sense? The dustbins are clean, but the area around them is not. No one is using bins, no one is used to using them,” he added.

Malik’s video has since gone viral across all social media platforms. “Pollution in the heart of Delhi. Don’t put garbage in the bin, just throw it. How can the government clean the city if people are so idiotic and irresponsible? New Delhi is already the most polluted city in the world. India’s national capital educated people,” an X user wrote, while sharing the video.

Watch the viral clip here:

“Pollution in the heart of Delhi.” 🤡

“Don’t put garbage in the bin, just throw it.”

How can govt clean the city if people are so idiotic and irresponsible? New Delhi is already the most polluted city in the world.

India’s national capital educated people. pic.twitter.com/S6L73tYYF1

— Suraj Kumar Bauddh (@SurajKrBauddh) January 14, 2026

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The clip triggered debate on the lack of civic sense in India. “People learn when they are fined – massively and repeatedly. And yes govt has to focus on such issues to solve them. Where is the focus going instead? In proving that the previous gov was at fault and not them,” a user wrote.

“One part of this mess is, of course, civic sense, the other part is the mess remains for 3-4 days or more coz cleaning is not proper, their need to be frequent inspections & action on incompetent cleaning staff,” a third user reacted.