People from various backgrounds, including politicians and students, participated in an hour-long "shramdaan" on Sunday in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a nationwide cleanliness drive in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad.
In a recent episode of "Mann Ki Baat," Modi appealed for "one hour of shramdaan for swachhata" on October 1, which would be a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary, in the run-up to Swachh Bharat Diwas on October 2, 2023. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, launched the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ fortnight from September 15 which will conclude today on October 2, in collaboration with other ministries, to celebrate nine years of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
117 locations in Pune
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) staff and residents joined the campaign, conducting extensive cleaning drives across 117 locations within the city limits. Pune's Guardian Minister, Chandrakant Patil, actively participated in cleaning key municipal premises such as Shaniwar Wada and Bhide Bridge and joined a walkathon arranged by the Pune civic body.
Both the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) organized large-scale cleanliness drives covering 117 and 64 locations, respectively, starting at 10am. Maharashtra conducted the program in over 62,000 locations, including beaches, religious sites, schools, colleges, and water bodies. According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, more than 9.20 lakh sites across the country participated in the mega drive.
The cleanliness drive encompassed significant sites under the jurisdiction of PMC, including Saras Baug, Sihangad College Road, Koregaon Park, Chaturshringi Temple, Taljai Mandir, Bhide Bridge, Lakshmi Road, and Airport Road.
PCMC's jurisdiction included sites such as Thermax Chowk, Shagun Chowk, Moshi Ghat, Bhosari Gaon Jatra Maidan, Spine Road Circle, Shivar Garden Chowk, Pimple Gurav Military Ground, PWD Ground, and HA Ground. The PCMC chief, Shekhar Singh, participated in the movement in the A ward in Pimpri Chinchwad, while PMC chief Vikram Kumar joined the movement in Pune.
