Culture Ministry Cleans 424 Sites in Swachhata Drive
- What: 424 target units revamped
- Scale: 10,000+ active participants
- Coverage: 43 cultural institutions nationwide
- Impact: 5 worker welfare camps
Over 400 neglected public spots and heritage grounds across India underwent an intensive fortnight of community restoration. Concluding on Swachh Bharat Diwas, the Ministry of Culture deployed 43 affiliated institutions to transform 424 targeted cleanliness units and clear 128 public locations. More than 10,000 volunteers, students, and officials joined the initiative under the banner of collective civic action.
Major heritage landmarks formed the backbone of the physical drive, with teams from the Archaeological Survey of India deployed across sites like Kangra Fort, Hampi's Pattabhirama Temple, and Brihadiswara Temple. Volunteers and conservators cleared monument corridors of single-use plastics and planted upwards of 300 saplings. Alongside ground cleanups, cultural bodies including the National School of Drama staged 207 street plays to reinforce waste segregation in crowded public hubs.
The initiative also bridged heritage preservation with circular economy techniques and sanitation welfare. Regional centers under the Lalit Kala Akademi and the National Science Centre ran waste-to-art workshops, teaching school students to repurpose discarded scrap into public art. For frontline workers, five dedicated safety camps facilitated direct enrolment into government welfare programs, providing protective gear and social security coverage to local sanitation staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the theme of the Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign?
The campaign was organized under the theme 'Swachhata Mein Sahbhag: Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat', emphasizing community participation and waste reduction.
Which heritage sites were cleaned during the drive?
Cleanliness drives covered numerous monuments, including Kangra Fort, Pattabhirama Temple in Hampi, Brihadiswara Temple, and Purana Qila in New Delhi.
What welfare measures were introduced for sanitation workers?
Five Safai Mitra Suraksha Shivirs were set up to distribute protective sanitation kits and enroll frontline sanitation workers into statutory government welfare schemes.
Source
Press Information Bureau Release ID 2319791, Ministry of Culture · 2026-10-06
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