JULY 17: President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, presented the Swachh Survekshan Awards at a function organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in the capital today. The awards recognize the best-performing cities and institutions under the Swachh Bharat Mission, celebrating their efforts toward building a cleaner India.
In her address, President Murmu highlighted that Swachh Survekshan has evolved into a powerful tool for assessing and encouraging cleanliness across urban India. She noted that the 2024 edition of the survey was the largest cleanliness survey in the world, engaging nearly 14 crore citizens, along with participation from urban bodies, state governments, and local communities.
She emphasized that cleanliness has always been rooted in Indian culture and spiritual consciousness, citing Mahatma Gandhi’s belief that “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” The President recalled her early work in public life, which began with supervising cleanliness drives as Vice President of a Notified Area Council.
President Murmu underscored the relevance of traditional Indian lifestyles, especially those of tribal communities, in today’s pursuit of sustainable living and circular economy practices. These communities, she noted, exemplify low-resource, zero-waste living and a deep respect for natural harmony. “The principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle are not new to us. They’ve been lived values in many indigenous and rural cultures,” she said.
She stressed that source segregation is the first and most crucial step in the waste management cycle, calling on households and local authorities to adopt it earnestly. The rise of zero-waste colonies, she said, sets a commendable example.
President Murmu praised the government’s School Level Assessment initiative, saying that instilling cleanliness as a life value in children will have a lasting impact. She also addressed the growing challenge of plastic and electronic waste, urging full compliance with the 2022 ban on single-use plastic and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines.
Concluding her speech, she affirmed that with united and determined efforts, India is well on its path to becoming one of the cleanest nations by 2047, aligned to become a developed country.
