Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that a cleanliness ranking system will be introduced to foster a spirit of healthy competition among municipal bodies. The top-performing bodies will be encouraged, and Swachhta Mitras contributing to the campaign will also be honored.
The Chief Minister was addressing the gathering as the chief guest at a program organized today at the War Memorial, Sector-2, as part of the special Shramdan Abhiyan – "Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath.Earlier, he paid tribute to martyr Major Sandeep Sankhla by laying a wreath at his statue and sought blessings from the martyr’s mother, Smt. Manju Kanwar.
The Chief Minister participated in the special Shramdan Abhiyan and urged all social organizations, youth, women, and citizens to actively support the cleanliness drive. He said that a one-hour Shramdan for cleanliness is being conducted nationwide today.
Emphasizing the importance of consistency, he said this should not be seen as a one-day campaign, but as a commitment to daily cleanliness. “Only then will our neighborhoods, villages, cities, and the entire state remain clean,” he added.
The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of collective effort to ensure Panchkula tops the cleanliness rankings. He said that approximately 1.50 lakh tons of waste from the Sector 23 dumping ground will be cleared and properly disposed of, enhancing the city’s cleanliness and beauty.
Urging people to plant and protect as many trees as possible, he highlighted that since 2014, the government has planted 18 crore saplings across the state, with a target of 2.10 crores trees this year. He added that planting trees not only reduces pollution but also enhances greenery, cleanliness, and the overall beauty of the environment.
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014, and the people of Haryana have actively supported this campaign. As a result, Haryana has become open defecation free.
He added that Haryana has achieved several significant milestones in cleanliness. Notably, two cities from Haryana were honored at the national level in the Swachh Bharat Mission’s Swachhta Survey 2024-25. On July 17, at a grand ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, President Smt. Draupadi Murmu presented Karnal with the Clean City Award, while Sonipat received the Ministerial Star Award for Cleanliness.
The Chief Minister said that Haryana has been open defecation free since 2018. Fourteen urban local bodies in the state have been certified as ODF++, 39 as ODF+, and 34 as ODF. Toilets have been constructed in 730,000 homes in Haryana's villages.In addition, approximately 6,000 public toilets have also been constructed. In the state's cities 66,662 homes, 2,334 community toilets, and approximately 7,000 public toilets have been constructed.
Speaking on the occasion, Commissioner and Secretary of the Urban Local Bodies Department, Sh. Vikas Gupta, said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, the government has focused strongly on urban cleanliness. He added that all cities in the state will be made the cleanest within the next six months, with the department working in mission mode to ensure efficient garbage collection and disposal.
On this occasion, Mayor Sh. Kulbhushan Goyal, former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Sh. Gian Chand Gupta, District President Sh Ajay Mittal, Vice Chairman of the Shivalik Development Board Sh. Om Prakash Devinagar, Director General of the Urban Local Bodies Department Sh. Pankaj, Deputy Commissioner Sh. Satpal Sharma, Commissioner of Municipal Corporation Panchkula Sh. R.K. Singh, Mission Director of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) Smt. Aparajita, Swachhata Mitras, and other dignitaries were present.