Govt to launch Clean India Week drive from Sept 25
The Delhi Government has decided to launch Clean India Week drive from September 25. The drive has been envisaged on the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch for cleanliness in the country as Indian will be celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi in 2019. The drive will culminate on October 2 and the city Government has decided not to leave any stone unturned. Union Ministry of Urban Development has instructed all the State Governments and the Union Territories to come out with detailed plan of action for meeting the cleanliness drive.
Chief Secretary of Delhi DM Spolia had convened a meeting of all the principal secretaries to chalk out the plan that was to be submitted to the Union Urban Development Ministry by the end of this month. The Delhi Government has instructed all the buses of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to be kept clean and sale of consumables in the buses has been prohibited. Cleanliness campaign should be started in all the city schools and there has to be extra emphasis on hygiene in the school toilets.
Health Department will ensure cleanliness in hospitals and officers from the department will be involved in the task while Revenue Department will take the services of residents’ welfare associations and New Delhi Municipal Council and the three municipal bodies will engage traders associations in their respective areas to ensure cleanliness in the markets. Art and Culture Department will ensure cleanliness in and around monuments under its control. Delhi Tourism has been tasked to ensure cleanliness at tourist spots and its offices.
A meeting was held in the Union Urban Development Ministry chaired by Venkaiah Naidu to chalk out the strategy and issue guidelines for maintaining cleanliness to State Governments. The Centre has also suggested that the States should take the services of eminent persons of the society. The weeklong drive should have dedicated themes about the importance of sanitation in our daily lives and citizens and all the stake holders must take the pledge to keep the country clean.
According to the information available, the Union Urban Development Ministry has given a list of activities and the action plan that the State Governments are supposed to initiate during the weeklong sanitation drive. The Centre has directed that all the Government buildings should look clean and the working atmosphere should be people friendly. Excess furniture and records piling in the office corridors should be avoided.
Rivers, ponds, bus stands, roads, streets, parks, railway stations and pavements should be cleaned to make the nationwide drive more meaningful.