Assam to Roll Out Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 with Whole-of-Government and Whole of Society Approach
By Dalim Phukan
Guwahati, Sep 12 : A State Level Coordination Committee meeting on the preparedness for Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2026 was held on Friday at the Chief Secretary’s Office Conference Hall, Loksewa Bhawan, under the chairmanship of Minister, Housing & Urban Affairs Kaushik Rai, in presence of Chief Secretary and Seniir officials of concerned departments. All District Commissioners and representatives of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) participated virtually in the meeting.
The national Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign will be observed from September 17 to October 17, 2026, as a month-long campaign aimed at strengthening cleanliness, citizen participation and sustainable waste-management practices. The campaign will be implemented through a Whole-of-Government and Whole of Citizen approach, with active participation of government departments, local bodies, citizens and other stakeholders.
The meeting reviewed the preparedness and proposed activities for SHS-2026, with responsibilities entrusted to the concerned departments. District Commissioners were directed to prepare and finalise district-level action plans immediately, including coordination with ULBs and RLBs, and ensure smooth implementation and timely reporting.
Commissioner & Secretary, DoHUA, Kavitha Padmanabhan attended the meeting virtually and delivered welcome address.
MD, Swachh Bharat Mission Urban, Assam, Sabyasachee Kashyap presented in detail about the proposed activities of the campaign.
The campaign will focus on five major pillars:
Transformation of Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs) and Clean Public Places – time-bound cleaning, transformation and beautification of identified sites, including markets, institutions, public transport hubs, parks, water bodies, tourist places and neighbourhoods.
Swachh Pathshala: Yuva for Swachhata – engaging students and youth through awareness activities, exposure visits, competitions and advocacy for four-way waste segregation and Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (RRR).
Safai Mitra Suraksha Evam Samman Shivir – health check-ups, social-security scheme linkages, distribution of protective gear and felicitation of Safai Mitras and sanitation workers.
Jan Bhagidari for Swachhata – promoting citizen participation through door-to-door awareness, home composting, sports activities, plastic-free initiatives and RRR drives.
Swachhata se Samriddhi – promoting the concept of ‘Waste to Wealth’ through Kabaad Se Jugaad, Kabaad Se Kala, plastic recycling melas and reuse and recycling drives.
Addressing the __ meeting, Minister Kaushik Rai urged all departments and stakeholders to work in close coordination and make Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 a grand success in Assam. He stressed the importance of ensuring active participation of citizens in the campaign and highlighted the initiative of lighting an ashirbad jyoti in every household on September 17, marking the beginning of a Sankalp for a Swachh Way of Life.
The Minister also called upon all Urban Local Bodies to ensure felicitation of Safai Karmis/Sanitation Workers, recognising their dedicated contribution towards maintaining cleanliness in urban areas.
Virtually attending the meeting Minister Panchayat and Rural Development Atul Bora also urged wholehearted participation of all departments, local bodies and stakeholders to make the campaign a grand success.
The campaign calendar includes a series of focused activities throughout the month. These include Swachh Pathshala and youth activities on September 18; transformation of CTUs/Garbage Vulnerable Points on September 19–20; cleanliness of high-footfall and public places on September 21–22; Jan Bhagidari advocacy drives on September 23–24; Clean Green Festivities on September 25–26; Swachh Tourist Sites on World Tourism Day, September 27; Swachhata Se Samriddhi activities on September 28–29; Safai Mitra Suraksha Evam Samman Shivir on September 30; Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath on October 1; Swachh Bharat Diwas on October 2; cleanliness of water bodies from October 3–5; cleanliness of institutions and offices on October 6–7; railway-related cleanliness activities on October 8; source segregation and home composting drives on October 9–10; and Swachh Parv, Harit Parv from October 11–17.
A major highlight will be “Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath” on October 1, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM, featuring collective voluntary Shramdaan by Ministers, MPs/MLAs, Mayors, elected representatives, senior officials, youth, sportspersons, citizens and other stakeholders. A State-level Shramdaan Mega Event will be organised by GMC in Guwahati, while ULBs and RLBs will organise activities at the district level.
The Swachh Bharat Diwas on October 2 will focus on remembering Mahatma Gandhi’s message of cleanliness, public participation, special council meetings, tree plantation under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, advocacy on the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, four-way segregation and Swachhata Pledge.
The meeting also emphasised inter-departmental convergence, active participation of local bodies, regular review and timely reporting. DoHUA and P&RD will coordinate and monitor the campaign at the State level, while GMC will organise the State-level programmes. The DIPR will guide, coordinate and implement the IEC and communication plan for wider outreach.
Minister Kaushik Rai called upon every department, local body and citizen to contribute wholeheartedly to the campaign and transform Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 into a people’s movement for a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable Assam.
Attending the meeting Chief Secretary Dr Ravi Kota directed all concerned departments and District Commissioners to make an action plan with close coordination.
The meeting was attended by Mayor, Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Mrigen Sarania; Special Chief Secretary, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, M.K. Yadav; Additional Chief Secretary, Panchayat & Rural Development and Cultural Affairs, B. Kalyan Chakraborty; Commissioner & Secretary, Tourism Department, Diganta Barah; Commissioner & Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Dr Laxmanan S; Commissioner & Secretary, Education Department, Narayan Konwar; Commissioner & Secretary, Information & Public Relations and Printing & Stationery, Padmapani Bora; Special Secretary, Sports & Youth Welfare, K.J. Hilaly; Commissioner GMC Chinmoy Prakash Phukan; Chief Engineer, PHE (Sanitation), Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma, along with other senior officials of various departments.
