The Department of Land Resources under the Ministry of Rural Development has rolled out the Swachhata Hi Seva initiative beginning 17 September 2026. The programme aims to build a culture where keeping surroundings clean is seen as everyone’s responsibility, not just that of sanitation workers. It targets both government officers and staff as well as the wider public.
What the initiative covers
Swachhata Hi Seva focuses on several areas of cleanliness and waste management:
- Maintaining clean offices and workspaces among government staff
- Reducing littering and improving sanitation in neighbourhoods and communities
- Responsible handling of plastic waste and electronic waste
- Identifying unused items at home and in offices for reuse, repair, recycling or proper disposal
- Supporting systems that allow waste to be recycled and converted into new products
The Department has asked its employees to take ownership of their immediate surroundings rather than relying entirely on sanitation workers. The initiative emphasises that preventing litter generation, keeping workplaces and neighbourhoods tidy, and managing waste responsibly are everyday practices that individuals can adopt.
According to Shri Narendra Bhooshan, Secretary of the Department of Land Resources, the true success of the programme will depend on whether cleanliness becomes part of people’s routine behaviour. The initiative positions cleanliness as linked to responsible citizenship and public service, with the idea that small individual actions taken together can create broader change.
What this means for you
If you are a government employee under the Department of Land Resources, you are expected to maintain clean workspaces and lead by example in your office and community. For the general public, the message is that keeping your home, neighbourhood and surroundings clean is not someone else’s job but a shared responsibility. Practices like reducing waste generation, avoiding littering, and properly disposing of or recycling items you no longer use are what the Department is asking citizens to adopt as part of daily life.