With an aim to reach a wider audience and encourage active participation in initiatives related to cleanliness, various departments in Assam has initiated number of activities for the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign involving the masses. Carrying the core objective of encouraging voluntary participation and community engagement, Assam witnessed a massive launching event of Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2023 across the state on 17th September 2023. The State level launching programme was conducted in Nalbari Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) campus along with AmritBrikshaAndolan, which was successfully convened by State Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah. In other districts, the launching was accompanied by pledge taking ceremony, plantation drive, rally etc.
All the districts scheduled their activities in accordance with the State specific guideline issued from Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G). Till date, different municipalities, Gaon Panchayat, Block office, divisional offices participated in this campaign through Amrit Briksha Andolan (plantation drive), cleanliness drive in institutional as well as community level, discussion on the steps on waste management at house hold as well as at community level to make India garbage-free. Rallies, pledge taking ceremonies, poster, slogan, drawing, debate competitions and other community level activities were organized through Sharamdan– people’s participation. On 24th September, all the districts had taken special drive to clean the riverbanks to celebrate ‘World River Day 2023’. Till 25th September, 1, 73,491 people across the state had participated through 1103 activities by voluntarily giving 2763 man-hours.
A special pledge taking ceremony of students and cleanliness drive in school is planned on 29th September 2023 in addition to their regular involvement in campaign. In addition, the State has decided to go for a special cleanliness drive in every Gaon Panchayat and Urban Local Body on 1st October 2023, called “EK TAREEKH EK GHANTA”.
On 2nd October 2023, the closing ceremony of SHS 2023 will be celebrated in a big way at State level along with district level programs. Chief Minister will preside the program and execute the transfer of incentives to one lakh eligible applicants, through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for individual toilet construction. In addition, best performing districts on the components of SHS 2023 and ODF+ initiative will be rewarded along with the winner of poster, slogan and drawing competition. The campaign has put an impetus on ODF+ movement by inculcating the practice of waste management and bringing visual cleanliness in rural Assam.
