ITANAGAR, SEP 17:
The Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 2026 campaign was launched across Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday with cleanliness drives, Swachhata pledges, social service activities and community mobilisation, marking the beginning of a month-long drive to promote sanitation, responsible waste management and civic participation.
At the State-level launch in Itanagar, Chief Minister Pema Khandu joined students, teachers, NCC cadets and officials in a cleanliness drive at Mallo Tarin Government Higher Secondary School. The campaign is being observed under the theme ‘Swachhata Mein Sahbhag; Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat’.
Addressing the gathering, Khandu urged students to carry the habit of cleanliness beyond school campuses to their homes, villages, workplaces and offices. He said the cleanliness initiative had evolved into a people’s movement and called for sustained behavioural change and community participation.
The Chief Minister said the month-long campaign would include around 12 programmes across the State, including district-level art and speech competitions for school students, Seva Aapke Dwar camps and other activities aimed at strengthening public participation in cleanliness and civic responsibility.
Separately, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Arunachal Pradesh, observed the launch of its month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan 2026 on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 76th birthday on Thursday. The nationwide campaign runs from September 17 to October 17 and includes service-oriented and public outreach activities.
As part of the programme, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) organised blood donation camps at various locations in the State. The BJP State Unit also organised a blood donation camp at Ramakrishna Mission Hospital, Itanagar, with party workers and youth volunteers participating.
The party also organised ‘Aashirwad Ka Diya’ programmes at five locations in the Itanagar Capital Region from 6 pm to 7 pm. The programmes were held at the Theravada Buddhist Temple, Vivek Vihar; Nyedar Namlo, Itanagar; Gangda Yurchum Girijapyi Temple, 6 Kilo; Naharlagun Church; and Donyi Polo Airport, Hollongi.
The programmes were attended by BJP leaders, office-bearers, party workers and members of the public. The BJP said the initiative was organised to offer prayers and good wishes for the Prime Minister’s health and long life. The party said the programme was also observed across its 28 districts and 74 mandals in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Seva Sankalp Abhiyan will continue until October 17 with programmes focused on public service, welfare outreach and community engagement.
In Ziro, Lower Subansiri Deputy Commissioner Oli Perme and Superintendent of Police Techi Hanyir led the SHS launch, which was attended by administrative officers, police personnel, departmental staff and local residents.
Participants took the Swachhata oath and pledged to maintain cleanliness, promote proper waste management and strengthen public participation in sanitation activities. Perme and Hanyir subsequently flagged off a fleet of garbage collection vehicles aimed at strengthening municipal sanitation services in Ziro.
Activities planned during the campaign include community cleanliness drives through shramdaan, waste-to-wealth initiatives and felicitation of sanitation workers (Safai Mitras). The administration appealed to local organisations, youth groups, trade bodies and residents to participate actively and help keep Ziro clean and green.
In Yachuli, the campaign was launched with a Swachhata pledge followed by a mass social service and cleanliness drive. Keyi Panyor Additional Deputy Commissioner Tajing Padung led the pledge in the presence of Urban Development and Housing Executive Engineer Er Tai Kalley, Assistant Engineers, Junior Engineers and sanitation staff of the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA), Yachuli.
The campaign, being conducted from September 17 to October 17, will involve government departments, institutions, local bodies and communities through cleanliness drives, awareness programmes and other public-participation activities across Keyi Panyor. The administration stressed that cleanliness is a shared responsibility requiring sustained participation.
In Khonsa, the SHS 2026 campaign was launched during a meeting chaired by Khonsa ADC Namneet Singh, IAS.
The programme saw participation from members of the District Special Cell on Solid Waste Management, TAAK, Khonsa Bazaar Committee, Nocte Mothers’ Federation and other stakeholders.
Discussions focused on cleanliness drives, waste segregation at source, improved solid waste management and sustained awareness, with emphasis on involving market communities, local organisations and residents.
Singh stressed the need for coordinated efforts among government departments, community groups and the public, and called for SHS 2026 to be treated as a sustained movement rather than an occasional campaign. He emphasised that the success of the initiative would depend on lasting behavioural change and making cleanliness a daily habit.
Participants expressed their collective resolve to work towards a cleaner, greener and healthier Khonsa. (DIPR)
