The “Swachhata Hi Seva 2024” (SHS 2024) campaign, which started on September 17, 2024, has already reached a big milestone in just seven days. The campaign, themed “Swabhav Swachhata Sanskaar Swachhata,” aims to clean and beautify neglected areas across India. So far, 25% of the identified Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs) have been transformed into clean spaces. Over 5 lakh CTUs—dark, dirty, and forgotten spots—have been selected for cleanliness drives during this two-week campaign. This campaign is part of the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban (SBM-U), which is celebrating 10 years of making India cleaner.
Impressive Progress in the First Week
More than 15 lakh events are happening across India under three main themes:
- Swachhata Lakshit Ekayi (focused on CTUs),
- Swachhata Mein Jan Bhaagidaari (public participation),
- SafaiMitra Suraksha Shivir (safety for sanitation workers).
Around 3 crore citizens are actively participating in these activities. In just one week, cleanliness drives are taking place in over 4 lakh locations across India, with more than 1 lakh areas already transformed into cleaner spaces.
States Leading the Way
Uttar Pradesh is leading the country with over 45,000 CTUs cleaned and beautified. Tamil Nadu has also made significant progress by transforming more than 28,000 target areas. Bihar has cleaned over 19,000 locations, while Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh have completed work on 18,000 and 17,000 CTUs, respectively. This shows how states are coming together to make the campaign a success.
Over 1 Million Trees Planted
The campaign also includes tree-planting drives under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative. So far, more than 1 million trees have been planted. Additionally, 7,000 food streets have been cleaned, and nearly 50,000 cultural festivals have been held across the country to celebrate India’s rich traditions.
Central Ministries and State Leaders Join the Movement
Various Central Ministries are playing an active role in the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign by organizing large-scale cleanliness drives at CTUs. These efforts include plantation drives, cyclothons, plogathons (clean-up walks), and cultural festivals. Many Chief Ministers from different states have led from the front, launching cleanliness campaigns and offering voluntary labor, known as shramdaan. Union Ministers also participated by taking pledges, planting trees, and joining various activities across the country.
A United Effort for a Cleaner India
The success of SHS 2024 is the result of a collective effort by urban local bodies, gram panchayats, faith organizations, NGOs, Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs), central ministries, and state governments. Everyone has come together to make a difference, showing their commitment to keeping India clean. As more people join the campaign, the visible impact of cleanliness on the ground is becoming clearer.
The campaign aims to continue this momentum to reach the goal of garbage-free cities under the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban. With active participation from citizens and leaders alike, the dream of a cleaner, greener, and healthier India is getting closer to reality.
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