The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, jointly held a preparatory meeting to discuss the upcoming Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2025 campaign. The meeting was co-chaired by the Hon’ble Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Hon’ble Minister of Jal Shakti, and attended by Ministers in charge of Urban and Rural Sanitation from States/UTs, senior officials, and representatives from urban and rural development departments.
Focus on ‘Swacchotsav’ Theme and Clean Green Festivities
The campaign will run from 17th September to 2nd October 2025 with the theme “Swacchotsav”, coinciding with India’s festive season to maximize community participation. The campaign aims to blend cultural celebrations with sustainability by encouraging citizens to observe clean and green festivities and adopt sustainable waste management practices.
Union Ministers Call for Collective Action
Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, stressed that cleanliness should be a year-round commitment rather than a symbolic effort on a single day. He called Swachhata a shared responsibility and encouraged villages, towns, and peri-urban areas to take proactive steps to maintain cleanliness. He urged all States to take swift action on 100% legacy waste dumpsites and to leverage the Swachhata App to enable citizen participation in identifying Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs) and ensuring prompt redressal of issues.
Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Patil, emphasized that SHS 2025 represents more than a series of cleanliness drives — it is a jan andolan (people’s movement) celebrating cleanliness as a way of life. He urged that night-long post-festivity cleaning operations should be implemented to ensure visible results and lasting impact.
Key Highlights of the Preparatory Meeting
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Mapping of Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs): States and UTs were directed to identify, map, and track CTUs for focused action.
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Addressing Legacy Dumpsites: Emphasis was placed on remediating dumpsites that have existed for years to create cleaner surroundings.
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Community Engagement: Campaigns will include public participation activities, community clean-up drives, and awareness initiatives.
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Post-Festival Clean-Up: ULBs and rural bodies were advised to prioritize quick waste collection after festive celebrations.
A Nationwide Jan Bhagidari Effort
The campaign is designed to inspire collective action by citizens, ULBs, panchayats, NGOs, and local institutions. By aligning SHS 2025 with India’s peak festive season, the government aims to transform Swachhata into a celebration and reinforce it as a habit across all sections of society.
As SHS 2025 approaches, MoHUA and DDWS are working closely with States/UTs to finalize strategies, mobilize volunteers, and ensure that the fortnight-long campaign delivers measurable, visible impact nationwide.
