Sambalpur: Former Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Saturday launched a cleanliness drive in Sambalpur, Odisha, as part of the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva 2026’ campaign under the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’.
Pradhan picked up a broom and participated in the cleanliness drive from Laxmi Talkies Square to Gol Bazar in Sambalpur city. Senior officials of the district administration also actively participated in the initiative.
The cleanliness drive began at 6:30 a.m. and was organised at 500 locations across Sambalpur district, including areas under the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation. Nearly one lakh people participated in the initiative.
The primary objective of the campaign is to transform cleanliness into a mass movement and encourage active public participation in maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
Pradhan participated in the drive alongside the Sambalpur District Collector, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Superintendent of Police, Sambalpur Municipal Corporation Commissioner and members of various voluntary organisations.
Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said cleanliness was a form of service and stressed the importance of making it an integral part of daily life.
“Cleanliness is service. This is a very important campaign. Today, in Sambalpur district, more than 500 urban areas and over 100,000 volunteers and sanitation workers are engaged in cleaning work. This is a sign of cleanliness, a way of living a disciplined life, and we should adopt it,” he said.
Pradhan also expressed concern over the extensive use of single-use plastic in Sambalpur, warning that it posed a serious threat to the environment.
He said that harming the environment ultimately meant harming human society and property, underlining the need for collective responsibility in protecting the surroundings.
Emphasising the importance of individual efforts, Pradhan said maintaining cleanliness at home should extend to neighbouring areas and public spaces.
He urged people to adopt responsible habits and contribute to keeping their surroundings clean.
The initiative aims to strengthen public awareness about sanitation, discourage the use of single-use plastic and promote community participation in cleanliness activities across Sambalpur district.
The campaign also seeks to encourage citizens to adopt cleanliness as a regular practice rather than limiting it to special drives and official initiatives.
