Mann Ki Baat 138: PM Modi Hails Youth-Led Cleanliness Drives

From Rivers to Beaches: The Examples

PM Modi shared examples from different parts of the country:

• Madhya Pradesh: Youngsters are cleaning a river, with the entire community joining in.
• Andhra Pradesh: Young people are cleaning old stepwells and wells, helping restore heritage sites.
• Mumbai: "Every week, hundreds of young friends gather on one beach or another and serve through cleanliness," he said.
• Delhi: Children and young people are making residents aware of the need to segregate waste.
• West Bengal: Students, together with local people, are cleaning markets at picnic spots.

Why It Matters: From Sweeping to Sorting

The examples show how the idea of cleanliness has widened. The Andhra Pradesh stepwell drives connect cleaning with heritage conservation. The Delhi campaign focuses on waste segregation, which tackles the problem at its source rather than after garbage piles up.

That shift matches this year's national campaign. Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 began on September 17 under the theme "Swachhata Mein Sahbhag, Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat". It promotes cleanliness and four-way source segregation of waste, among other goals.

Youth Are Part of the Official Plan Too

The Prime Minister's focus on young people also reflects the structure of the campaign. Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 rests on five pillars: transforming Cleanliness Target Units and public places, Swachh Paathshala – Yuva for Swachhata, Safai Mitra Suraksha Evam Samman Shivir, Jan Bhagidari for Swachhata, and Swachhata Se Samriddhi.

The campaign has been observed annually since 2017 and follows a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, treating cleanliness as a collective responsibility rather than the job of any single department.

The Road to October 2

The campaign culminates with Swachh Bharat Diwas on October 2, the same day as Gandhi Jayanti. The Swachh Bharat Mission itself was launched on Gandhi Jayanti in 2014, which is why the date carries special weight for cleanliness campaigns every year.

The Prime Minister's message was that clean surroundings do not begin with a government order, but with one person picking up a broom and others following. With Gandhi Jayanti days away, his examples from beaches, rivers and stepwells offer a simple call to action for citizens across the country.

With inputs from IANS.