Swachh Bharat Mission: 15‑Day cleanliness campaign to mobilize millions across India
New Delhi, September 16: The 10th edition of the ‘Swachata Hi Seva Abhiyan’ will begin nationwide from Thursday. The 15-day campaign aims to effectively motivate millions of people across the country to participate collectively in cleanliness drives. This year’s theme is “Participation in Cleanliness, Clean India, Developed India.”
Union Water Power Minister CR Patil shared details of the key activities of the ‘Swachata Hi Seva-2026’ campaign, which will run from September 17 to October 2, at a press conference held at the National Media Center on Wednesday.
Union Minister of State for Water Power V. Somanna, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Tokhan Sahu, Union Housing and Urban Development Department Secretary Satendra Singh, and Secretary of the Department of Sanitation and Drinking Water Ashok KK Meena were present during the event.
Patil stated that this year’s campaign will focus on accelerating cleanliness activities through public participation, launching special cleanliness drives at identified locations, honoring and respecting sanitation workers, and strengthening the sense of responsibility and service towards cleanliness in villages.
He explained that the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign focuses on bringing together citizens, communities, and institutions to ensure visible cleanliness at the grassroots level. The campaign aims to focus on the most degraded, dirty, and neglected areas.
Union Minister Patil said, “Our effort is to ensure that cleanliness does not remain a mere government program, but rather, it becomes a strong public movement with the participation of every citizen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has linked cleanliness to the nation’s culture and public participation. We should also join this campaign with the spirit of Swachhata Hi Seva and fulfill the commitment to a clean and healthy India.”
In response to a question, Patil said that we should not consider imposing fines for cleanliness right now. It is necessary to first educate the people of the country. He explained that the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign has changed the habits of 600 million people, who have incorporated cleanliness into their daily routine.
It is noteworthy that the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign, launched in 2017, is a nationwide campaign to transform the Modi government’s Swachh Bharat Mission into a mass movement. Its primary objective is to ensure that cleanliness is not merely a government program but rather the personal responsibility and collective participation of every citizen.
Just a day earlier, Water Power Minister Patil had interacted with state ministers under the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign. The Swachhata Seva Assessment for rural areas was also launched on this occasion. Patil urged all states to engage with the campaign with full seriousness and in its true spirit.
