Over 9.2 lakh sites host cleanliness drive; PM appeals for swachhata

More than 9.2 lakh sites across the country hosted a mega cleanliness drive on Sunday in which people from across the spectrum, including politicians, celebrities, and students participated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took part in this cleanliness drive along with fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria.

“Today, as the nation focuses on Swachhata (cleanliness), Ankit Baiyanpuriya and I did the same! Beyond just cleanliness, we blended fitness and well-being also into the mix. It is all about that Swachh and Swasth Bharat (clean and healthy India) vibe,” Mr Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The post was accompanied by a video which shows Mr. Modi and Mr. Baiyanpuriya wielding brooms and cleaning and picking up trash.

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik made sand art dedicated to the nationwide cleanliness drive featuring the sculpture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi spreading the message of cleanliness at Puri Beach on October 1 (Source: ANI)

The one-hour cleanliness drive, organised to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, saw NGOs, market associations, self-help groups, faith groups, trade bodies, and private sector companies volunteering for “shramdaan” (labour) in more than 22,000 market areas, 10,000 waterbodies, 7,000 bus stands/toll plazas, 1,000 gaushalas, 300 zoos and wildlife areas, and various other locations in rural and urban India, according to officials.

The Prime Minister had in an episode of Mann Ki Baat, last week appealed for “one hour of shramdaan (voluntary labour) for swachhata” on October 1 by all citizens as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the eve of his birth anniversary on October 2.

An array of Union Ministers and high-ranking officials also participated in the cleanliness drive, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Ahmedabad, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari in New Delhi, and BJP chief J.P. Nadda in Delhi’s Jhandewalan area.

Parliament employees during a cleanliness drive organised under the ‘Swachchta Pakhwada: Swachchta hi Seva’ campaign ahead of Gandhi Jayanti, at Samvidhan Sadan and Parliament House complex, in New Delhi, on October 1, 2023. (Source: PTI)

Union Power Minister R.K. Singh told the media after taking part in the drive: “We [Centre] have resolved to make the country clean. It is a big challenge but we will do it.”

Urging people to join the drive, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri posted on X, “Come, let’s create a new history! At 10 AM today, let’s volunteer for an hour, paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi through cleanliness.”