People to engage in a month-long intense cleanliness campaign
In Short
- Visakhapatnam is launching an intensive month-long cleanliness and environmental awareness campaign, ‘Swachhta Hi Seva-2026’, running from September 17 to October 17
- GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg will kick off the campaign, featuring sanitation drives and community outreach
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File photo of a cleaness programme
Visakhapatnam: The city is set to embark on an intensive month-long cleanliness and environmental awareness campaign ‘Swachhta Hi Seva-2026’ on September 17.
The campaign, which will continue until October 17, focuses on promoting cleanliness practices, encouraging public participation and fostering environmental responsibility across the city.
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ketan Garg will inaugurate the campaign at GR Nagar Colony of the east zone, featuring special cleanliness drives, environmental sanitation initiatives and extensive awareness activities aimed at encouraging citizens to actively participate in keeping their surroundings clean and healthy.
The month-long campaign will bring together public representatives, government officials, GVMC employees, students, youth, NGOs, resident welfare associations, sanitation workers and citizens, creating a broad-based movement for a cleaner Visakhapatnam.
As part of it, a wide range of activities will be implemented across the city in accordance with the five key pillars identified by the Swachh Bharat Mission under Swachhta Hi Seva-2026.
As part of the campaign, cleanliness target units (CTUs) and public places will receive special attention.
Students and young people will engage through the ‘Swachh Pathshala–Yuva for Swachhata’ initiative, while the health, safety and welfare of sanitation workers will be addressed through ‘SafaiMitra Suraksha Evam Samman Shivir’.
Public participation will remain at the heart of the campaign through ‘Jan Bhagidari for Swachhata’. The ‘Swachhata Se Samriddhi’ initiative will promote the Reduce–Reuse–Recycle (RRR) approach, prevention of single-use plastics and greater emphasis on reuse and recycling.
Throughout the month, special cleanliness, awareness and beautification programmes will be taken up at public places, markets, residential colonies, tourist destinations, water bodies and other important locations.
Dedicated programmes will also focus on waste segregation, home composting, RRR practices and prevention of single-use plastics, alongside initiatives aimed at improving the health, safety and welfare of sanitation workers. Adding further momentum to the campaign, a city-wide collective labour programme will be conducted on October 1 under the banner of ‘Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath.
Citizens from different sections of society will be encouraged to come together for one hour and contribute directly to the cleanliness of their surroundings.
On October 2, marking Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, Visakhapatnam will observe ‘Swachh Bharat Diwas’ with special cleanliness drives and public awareness programmes. The occasion will highlight the message of cleanliness, civic responsibility and collective action among citizens. GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg called upon people to partner in the cleanliness mission and contribute towards building a cleaner, healthier and more eco-friendly Visakhapatnam.
