Making sanitation everybody’s business

Swachhata Hi Seva is a call to citizens to actively engage in shramdaan through voluntary activities aimed at fostering a sense of shared responsibility

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a flagship initiative led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a shining example of what collective willpower can achieve. The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is a mass movement for a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable India. However, this campaign is not merely about immediate action. It lays the foundation for a long-term vision, addressing waste management in both urban and rural areas, through the joint action of various government departments.

At the heart of the campaign is an unwavering emphasis on visual cleanliness, extending to the welfare of safai mitras. (HT Archive)

To give impetus to this cause, my entire team has been working tirelessly every day towards fulfilling this mission. We have so far achieved over 4.4 lakh Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus villages under SBM-G 2.0 along with constructing more than 11.25 crore household toilets and 2.36 lakh community sanitary complexes.

A pivotal component of this initiative is the Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) (cleanliness is service) campaign that enables mass participation in this mission. Around 10 crore people did shramdaan (voluntary contribution) activities during SHS 2022 and this year, already around nine crore people have done shramdaan activities. It is because of this huge participation that we saw India achieve a remarkable milestone this year, the number of ODF-plus villages going up from 7% to 75%.

This year, the SHS campaign was launched by Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Hardeep Singh Puri, and me. The fortnight-long campaign is being observed this year from September 15 to October 1, culminating in a nationwide swachhata shramdaan on October 1.

SHS is no ordinary campaign. It is a call to citizens to actively engage in shramdaan through voluntary activities aimed at fostering a sense of shared responsibility and reinforcing the message that sanitation is everybody’s business. This year, the campaign aims to emphasise that sanitation is a collective duty and cleanliness should be an intrinsic part of our daily lives. As we reflect on the success of the SHS campaign, it is essential for us to delve deeper into the nuanced aspects of this extraordinary endeavour.

At the heart of the campaign is an unwavering emphasis on visual cleanliness, extending to the welfare of safai mitras. Recognising their vital role is a commendable aspect of the campaign, underlining the need to uplift those who diligently maintain our surroundings.

SHS-2023 showcases an impressive array of activities, ranging from cleaning high-traffic public spaces to refurbishing sanitation assets and rejuvenating public areas. Additionally, the cleaning of riverbanks, water bodies, tourist destinations, and historic monuments highlights our commitment to preserving our natural and cultural heritage. The collaboration between the department of drinking water and sanitation (DDWS) and the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) sets the stage for a robust waste management mechanism in line with this vision.

At this juncture, it is also important to recognise the “whole of government” approach adopted under SHS-2023. This innovative approach has enabled 59 government departments, apart from DDWS and MoHUA, to initiate over 30,000 activities and ensure the participation of over 7.5 lakh people so far to promote swachhata (cleanliness) all over the country. Further, the most significant achievement of the campaign is the unprecedented mobilisation of communities. Young minds embrace the importance of waste segregation at its source, evolving into champions of cleanliness in their communities. Cultural events and special programmes transcend regional boundaries, fostering a collective sense of purpose.

The campaign also marks the launch of the SHS portal for this year, which records voluntary work. This introduces a level of transparency and accountability previously unseen in such campaigns, offering a tangible method to quantify the outstanding efforts of participating citizens and organisations. Concurrently, the Indian Swachhata League, integrated into SHS-2023, injects a competitive spirit into the campaign.

I would like to request my fellow citizens to imbibe the spirit of shramdaan, learn from the teachings of the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and actively participate in the swachhata shramdaan on October 1 and contribute in their own way to making our villages, towns and cities “sampoorna swachh”.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is Union minister for Jal Shakti. The views expressed are personal