New Delhi: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched the Swachhta Pakhwada-2024 with an opening ceremony held at Shastri Bhawan here today.

The event was marked by the administration of the Swachhta Pledge by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, to all senior officers and staff of the Ministry. The ceremony also witnessed the presence of Suresh Gopi, Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas, and Pankaj Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

During his address, Hardeep Singh Puri emphasised the importance of the Swachhta Pakhwada initiative as part of the larger Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Calling Swachhta Abhiyan the most fundamental transformative campaign under the Prime Minister’s stewardship of the country, he said that the campaign has brought a paradigmatic shift in the way we think.

The Minister highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to promoting cleanliness practices across all departments and the active involvement of all stakeholders, including Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and attached offices under the Ministry.

Speaking at the event, Hardeep Puri reflected on the achievements of the previous year’s Swachhta Pakhwada, which included various activities such as the construction of sanitation facilities, installation of hygiene infrastructure, and cleanliness drives in public spaces and offices. “Last year we carried out a range of activities under the ‘Swachhata Pakhwada’ between 1 July and 15 July 2023 to demonstrate our commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6),” he added.

Hardeep Puri also took a moment to celebrate the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission, which has transformed India over the past nine years. He noted the construction of almost 12 crore toilets across rural and urban India, the significant improvements in solid waste management, and the overall impact on health and hygiene practices. He said that our solid waste management in urban areas, almost non-existent at the mission’s inception, now stands at an impressive 77%. “According to the UN, households saved up to Rs. 50,000 because of better health and hygiene practices,” he added further.

The Minister stressed the need for continued commitment to cleanliness and the importance of making cities garbage-free and remediating all legacy dumpsites through the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0).

 /BI