Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur will inaugurate Mega Cleanliness Drives under Swachh Bharat 2022 from Chandani Chowk, Delhi on 19th October 2022. Similar Cleanliness Drives will be undertaken on 19th October 2022 in all villages across the country. The aim is to consolidate the efforts of Swachh Bharat 2022 by Deptt. of Youth Affairs and its affiliate organizations namely NYKS and NSS and further intensify activities for ensuring mass public participation in campaign by organizing similar programmes in all villages across the country.

A humble beginning can lead to great change and big transformation. Swachh Bharat Programme initiated by Deptt. of Youth Affairs in commemoration of Azadi Ka Amrit KaAmrit Mahotsava bears testimony to this.

Barely 17 days ago, the programme commenced with the objective of collection of One Crore k.g. of waste in the span of one month. Till date, more than 60 Lakh k.g. of waste has been collected with the overwhelming support and response from youth and people from all walks of life from all Districts across the country.

This is trend setter of a sort. People particularly the youth irrespective of their background and affiliations are not only participating in the programme but playing pivotal role in motivating and encouraging others to join the programme purely on voluntary basis.

Swacchta Abhiyan was started by Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi ji during 2014 and since then, reremarkable headway can be noticed in this regard. This Programme is continuation of initiative spearheaded by the Prime Minister with renewed focus and commitment.

Swachh Bharat with youth centric model has envisaged central role for youth in programme visualization, mobilization of people and successful execution of the programme. The arrival of youth from fringe to mainstream of development landscape augurs well for the country.

Although, the focus point of Programme is village but specific segments of population such as Religious bodies, Teachers, Corporate Bodies, Women’s Groups and others are also participating in the programme to show their solidarity for the cause and making it truly a public movement.

Similar drives are also being undertaken at historical/iconic locations and hotspots such as Tourist Places, Bus Stand/Railway Stations, National Highway and Educational Institutions

The programme is unique both in terms of scale and outreach and is visualized on the model of Yuva Bhagidari to Jan Andolan and through this, role and contribution from each citizen is carved out for the success and sustainability of the programme.

Swachh Bharat is not just a programme but it reflects the genuine concerns of common man and their resolve to address the issue head on.

The key driving factor of the initiative has been coordination and synergy among all stakeholders by forgetting their silos. Various Deptts/Agencies, CBOs and Civil Society Organizations; they all are coming together to realize the common goal of elimination of single use plastic and ensuring cleanliness.

The journey of this Swachh Bharat Initiative would not have been possible but for the support and contributions of the lakhs of youth volunteers of NYKS and NSS who relentlessly are taking up the cause with missionary zeal. There are millions of other faceless warriors who joined the cleanliness bandwagon of their own and contributed without title and ownership. They are the true heroes of this drive.

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NB/OA