New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a nationwide cleanliness drive on October 1, urging citizens to blend fitness, well-being, and cleanliness. Thousands of people across the country participated in an hour-long “shramdaan” or voluntary labour.
PM Modi, accompanied by fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuriya, actively joined the drive. He shared a 4-minute video on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, emphasising the importance of combining cleanliness, fitness, and well-being for a “Swachh and Swasth Bharat” or clean and healthy India.
Citizens from various backgrounds, including politicians and students, participated in the ‘Swachhata hi Seva’ campaign in response to the Prime Minister’s call. The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry reported that over 9.20 lakh sites across the country were adopted for this mega cleanliness drive.
In a recent episode of “Mann Ki Baat,” PM Modi called for “one hour of shramdaan” on October 1 as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah engaged in cleanliness drives in Ahmedabad and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participated in the ‘Swachhata Pakhwada’ cleanliness drive in Sitapur.
Union Power Minister R.K. Singh expressed the government’s commitment to making the country clean, acknowledging the challenge it poses. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel actively engaged in cleanliness drives, highlighting the importance of cleanliness in India.
Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari volunteered for a cleanliness activity in New Delhi, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi organised cleanliness drives at 500 locations across the national capital.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri encouraged people to join the drive and pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi through cleanliness. Cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also appealed to the public to participate in this citizen-led movement for cleanliness.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took part in a special cleanliness program organised by the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) in Delhi Cantonment, commending the ‘Safai Karamcharis’ for their dedication to maintaining cleanliness on the premises. More than 20,000 officers and staff of the Defence Accounts Department nationwide were actively involved in cleanliness activities, including garbage removal, file organisation, and sanitation awareness campaigns.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak encouraged participation in the drive, emphasising its nationwide organisation.
The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry reported that various entities, including NGOs, market associations, self-help groups, faith groups, trade bodies, and private sector companies, participated in the “shramdaan” at more than 22,000 market areas, 10,000 water bodies, 7,000 bus stands/toll plazas, 1,000 gaushalas, 300 zoos and wildlife areas, and other locations in both rural and urban India.
Among the states, Uttar Pradesh adopted over a lakh of sites for cleanliness drives, while Maharashtra planned activities in more than 62,000 locations, including beaches, religious places, schools, colleges, and water bodies. In Telangana, temples of historical significance received cleaning attention during the drive.
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