The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) jointly launched the nationwide Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign on September 17, 2026, with a plantation drive under the 'Ek Ped Ma Ke Naam' initiative at Children's Park, India Gate, New Delhi. The event was organized with the New Delhi Municipal Corporation and featured participation from senior officials including Sh. Ashok K K Meena (Secretary, DDWS), Sh. Satendra Singh (Secretary, Department of Urban Development, MoHUA), and Smt. D. Thara (Secretary, Department of Capital Development, MoHUA).
The campaign operates under the theme 'Swachhata Mein Sahbhag; Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat', emphasizing that cleanliness is a shared responsibility requiring whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. The key pillars of SHS 2026 include: transformation of Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs) and clean public places with timebound clearing and site beautification; Swachh Paathshala - Yuva for Swachhata involving student exposure visits to waste management assets through Swachhata Gyan Yatras and dialogues; SafaiMitra Suraksha Evam Samman Shivirs providing single-window camps for preventive health checkups and saturation of social security welfare schemes; Jan Bhagidari for Swachhata including advocacy, awareness on SWM Rules 2026, 4-way source segregation, and special activities on World Tourism Day; and Swachhata se Samriddhi focusing on circular economy and Waste-to-Wealth initiatives.
On October 2nd, 2026, Special Gram Sabhas will be held in rural areas and Special Council Meetings in urban areas to discuss campaign outcomes, generate awareness on Solid Waste Management Rules 2026 and 4-way source segregation, and assess ODF Plus (Model) status in villages. The campaign aims to reach every section of society with special emphasis on ensuring visible cleanliness.