New Delhi: The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, today presented the Swachh Survekshan awards at a ceremony organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Odisha’s Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Krushna Chandra Mohapatra, received awards for the clean towns of Bhubaneswar, Aska and Chikiti in Odisha. Aska was recognized for the first time, while Chikiti NAC received a national award for the third time, being lauded as the cleanest city in the state by the Union government for the last three years
Speaking at the event, the President highlighted Swachh Survekshan as a successful initiative for evaluating and promoting cleanliness efforts in Indian cities. She commended the Ministry for conducting the world’s largest cleanliness survey for 2024, which saw participation from various stakeholders, state governments, urban bodies, and approximately 14 crore citizens.
The President emphasized India’s ancient cultural and spiritual consciousness that has always valued cleanliness, citing Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” She shared her personal experience of starting her public service journey with cleanliness work, supervising ward sanitation as the Vice President of a Notified Area Council.
She further stated that minimizing waste through resource conservation and re-use has been a traditional part of Indian lifestyle, aligning with the modern principles of a circular economy (reduce-reuse-recycle). She noted that tribal communities exemplify this through their simple living, minimal resource consumption, and harmony with nature, offering a model for strengthening modern circularity systems.
A crucial aspect of waste management, according to the President, is source segregation, which requires utmost attention from all stakeholders and households. She lauded zero-waste colonies for setting positive examples. The President also praised the School Level Assessment initiative, aimed at instilling cleanliness as a life value in students, anticipating beneficial and far-reaching results.
Addressing the challenge of plastic and electronic waste, the President stressed the need for proper efforts to significantly reduce the country’s plastic emissions. She referenced the central government’s 2022 ban on certain single-use plastic items and the Extended Producer Responsibility guidelines for plastic packaging issued in the same year. She reiterated the responsibility of all stakeholders, including producers, brand owners, and importers, to ensure full compliance with these guidelines.
The President concluded by stating that cleanliness efforts have economic, cultural, and geographical dimensions. She expressed confidence in the full dedication of all citizens to the Swachh Bharat Mission, believing that strong resolutions will pave the way for a developed India by 2047, making it one of the cleanest countries globally.