Ram Nath Kovind to launch Swachhta Hi Seva campaign tomorrow

Kanpur (UP), Sep 14: President Ram Nath Kovind will launch a fortnight-long 'Swachhta Hi Seva' (Cleanliness is Service) sanitation campaign on Friday. The campaign, to highlight the Narendra Modi government's flagship cleanliness initiative Swachh Bharat Mission, will be launched from Ishwari Ganj village near here, an official spokesman said.

The initiative, which is being coordinated by the Ministry of Drinking water and sanitation, will include 'Shramdaan' or voluntary work and will focus on mass mobilisation and reinforce 'jan andolan' for sanitation to contribute to Mahatma Gandhi's dream of a clean India.

The nation-wide campaign will see large-scale mobilisation of people from all walks of life, including the prime minister, Union ministers, CMs, MPs and NGOs to undertake 'Shramdaan' for cleanliness and construction of toilets and to make their surroundings free from open defecation. It will target cleaning of public and tourist places too.

Elaborate plans have been made along with the state governments to reach out to the poor and marginalised and provide them with sustainable sanitation services, the spokesman said. The president will also inaugurate a Solid-Liquid Waste Management Scheme here and distribute among safai workers tri-cycles meant for carrying garbage.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth will also be present at the programme. Kanpur District Magistrate Surendra Singh said the president will honour five people who played a major role in making Ishwari Ganj an open-defecation free village. He said elaborate security measures were being taken in view of the high-profile visit. After becoming the president, this is his first visit to Kanpur.

PTI