Mumbai: In a colourful celebration of the Swachh Bharat Mission, a rangoli competition in Mumbai’s Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation office became a centre of attraction, drawing both admiration and thought. Under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan programme, participants created intricate rangolis featuring significant figures like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, alongside important social messages.
The competition, held in the Municipal Corporation’s main office, saw cleanliness-themed rangolis that promoted a cleaner, healthier India. The vibrant artwork included depictions of pressing social issues like pollution, large-scale deforestation, misuse of water resources, the spread of diseases, and unhygienic living conditions.
These rangolis not only captured the beauty of traditional Indian art but also became powerful tools for social awareness. The event was marked by the slogan, “I will participate in the Swachh Abhiyan, I will keep my city clean,” urging citizens to take active responsibility in the cleanliness movement. The Swachh Bharat Mission, initiated by Prime Minister Modi in 2014, has become one of India’s most ambitious and transformative public health campaigns. Its success in promoting sanitation and hygiene has made it the largest behavioural change initiative globally.
The mission initially focused on eliminating open defecation, has evolved into a comprehensive program aimed at solid and liquid waste management across rural India. With over 100 million toilets built by 2019 and more than 600,000 villages declared Open Defecation Free (ODF), the program has made significant strides toward improving public health. The second phase of the mission launched post-2019, is geared towards sustaining ODF status and implementing waste management practices to ensure ‘Sampoorn Swachhata’ or complete cleanliness.
In addition to infrastructure development, innovative cleanliness campaigns like Swachhata Hi Sewa and the Swachhata Green Leaf Rating have mobilised millions of citizens to actively participate in cleanliness drives. The Swachh Bharat Mission has not only transformed the sanitation landscape but also served as a beacon for community-driven change, with its roots deeply embedded in the collective efforts of the government and citizens alike. Through continued innovation and broad participation, the mission aims to further push the boundaries of public health and sustainable sanitation practices in India.
(IANS)
