Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde Shines With 'Deep Clean Campaign' For Mumbai

Mumbai is known as the 'City of Dreams' and the 'Mayanagri.' However, in recent days, it had become rundown with increasing pollution, dust, and waste.

To restore the city's cleanliness and orderliness, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde launched a cleanliness drive in Mumbai, known as the 'Deep Clean Campaign,' which began last December.

Photo Credit: PTI

This initiative is Shinde's dream project, and thus far, several metric tonnes of waste have been collected, making Mumbai shine once again.

What is the Campaign About?

In November last year, it was observed that pollution levels and air quality in Mumbai had significantly worsened. Following this, the Municipal Corporation of Mumbai, under Chief Minister Shinde's direction, initiated the Deep Cleaning Campaign.

During the campaign's first phase from 1 to 15 December 2023, over 1,200 metric tonnes of garbage and debris were collected. This cleanliness drive, which has reached every corner of the city, from small lanes to larger streets, has brought relief to Mumbai residents. For this task, 367 machines were deployed across the city.

A Step-by-Step Cleaning Process

Chief Minister Shinde has been personally overseeing this campaign. He has collaborated with the Municipal Corporation Commissioner and senior officials to personally conduct the cleanliness drive early in the morning on Mumbai's roads and beaches. New equipment has been procured for the campaign.

Before the election rush begins, the campaign has been organised across all seven zones of the city, with each zone focusing on specific wards every Saturday. In these designated wards, all available manpower and machinery were utilised to carry out extensive cleaning. Roads have also been washed to reduce the dominance of dust in the air.

Reaching Even the Narrowest Alleys

The campaign involved approximately 2,500 municipal staff, including officers and workers. They cleaned smaller roads, drains in narrow alleys, public toilets, and areas around drainage flows and open grounds. Not only was cleaning prioritised, but illegal hoardings, wall posters, and abandoned vehicles along the roadsides were also removed.

In several locations, walls were cleaned and artistically decorated with awareness messages. With the Chief Minister's involvement, the Municipal Corporation's commitment to a cleaner Mumbai has been clearly demonstrated, and the campaign has seen great success.

Improved Health for Mumbaikars

Some have pointed out that the Shiv Sena faction, which had governed Mumbai for years, never implemented such a comprehensive cleanliness drive. In the last 20 years, no such effort was made, nor had any previous Chief Minister addressed the issue of Mumbai's cleanliness with this level of seriousness.

The improved cleanliness across Mumbai has positively impacted residents' health. The Chief Minister has assured that the campaign will continue in the future.

Potential Electoral Benefits

Addressing the health needs of Mumbaikars had never been a priority for previous Chief Ministers. However, after the Mahayuti (Grand Alliance) government came into power, Chief Minister Shinde recognised the importance of Mumbai's health and acted on it. This initiative has resonated with the common citizen, and after the Chief Minister's appeal, volunteers, schools, colleges, and citizens themselves actively participated in the campaign, assisting municipal workers in keeping the city clean.

Through this campaign, Mumbaikars experienced the Chief Minister's compassion and concern for health and hygiene. Political analysts suggest that this campaign could benefit Shinde's Shiv Sena faction in the upcoming Assembly elections.