Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 was launched on 17 September 2026 under the theme 'Swachhata Mein Sahbhag; Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat'. Union ministries followed with Shramdaan, pledges and tree plantation. The Ministry of Mines scheduled a collective Shramdaan on 1 October and an e-waste collection drive from 2 to 31 October 2026. The campaign also put forward measures on sanitation worker safety, inclusive livelihoods and used water treatment.
The campaign is held every year and brings citizens, institutions and leadership together to strengthen voluntarism and collective action. Its stated approach is Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society.
At a Ministry of Minority Affairs programme in New Delhi, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju administered the Swachhata Pledge and took part in Shramdaan and a tree plantation drive. He said cleanliness must be a continuous responsibility, not a one-time exercise, and not the job of sanitation workers alone. He linked it to the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative, which encourages every individual to plant at least one tree in the name of their mother.
The Ministry of Mines will hold the 'Ek Din, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath' Shramdaan at Yashwant Place, Chanakyapuri, on 1 October, with Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy joining officers, employees and sanitation workers. He will also inaugurate an E-Waste Collection Stall at GPOA-3, Netaji Nagar, where the Ministry has adopted a park. During the drive, officials and employees will bring discarded electronic and electrical items, which will be channelled to authorised mechanisms for recycling and scientific processing. The Ministry said the exercise treats e-waste as a source of critical minerals, supports resource efficiency, reduces dependence on virgin materials and advances a circular economy.
The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment organised the national SafaiMitra Suraksha Evam Samman Shivir at Kedarnath Sahni Auditorium, Dr. S.P.M. Civic Centre, New Delhi, in hybrid mode. It was meant to ease sanitation workers' access to healthcare, safety, welfare and social protection, and served as a single-window platform for information on schemes.
Preventive health check-ups were offered, and PPE kits were distributed and demonstrated, including a safety drill by experts. Ayushman Cards with cover of up to ₹5 lakh were distributed. Facilitation covered Ayushman Bharat/PM-JAY, PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Swachhata Udyami Yojana and PM Jan Dhan Yojana, subject to eligibility.
Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar said the NAMASTE Scheme supports Sewer and Septic Tank Workers and Waste Pickers, and goes beyond welfare to focus on safety, dignity and long-term social and economic inclusion. Minister of State B. L. Verma said it now covers workers at Fecal Sludge Treatment Plants and Sewage Treatment Plants, with benefits such as Ayushman Cards and PPE kits. MCD Mayor Pravesh Wahi said more than 3,000 SafaiMitras have been formalised in the MCD.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta noted the approval of 1,000 litter-picking machines and 100 sweeping machines to promote mechanisation. She said a top-up health cover of ₹5 lakh over the existing ₹5 lakh Ayushman Bharat cover would take the total to ₹10 lakh.
The campaign presented several livelihood examples:
In Odisha, a transgender Self-Help Group in Cuttack was trained to operate a Septage Treatment Plant, after which urban local bodies (ULBs) partnered with SHGs in Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) and solid waste management. In Bhubaneswar, the Swikruti Self-Help Group runs the 75-KLD Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant at Basuaghai. Transgender groups will also operate seven cesspool vehicles, with minimum applicable wages and training in health, hygiene, PPE and desludging protocols.
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), Used Water Management focuses on treating used water, keeping untreated sewage out of water bodies and enabling safe reuse. Water Plus certification requires wastewater to meet satisfactory treatment standards before discharge, and ULBs are being empowered to prepare long-term city-level reuse plans. The ODF++ protocols assess safe management of entire sewage, including faecal sludge and septage. Under SBM 2.0, projects worth ₹11,785 crore have been approved for sewage treatment plants (STPs) in small cities, adding 4,900 million litres per day (MLD) of capacity.
Jaipur's Dehlawas STP, with 215 MLD capacity, is the highest in Rajasthan, and its treated water is used for irrigation and industry. Indore was the first city with Water+ Certification. Navi Mumbai reuses over 30 per cent of its treated water. In Tirupati, the 50 MLD Thukivakam STP, built for ₹19 crore, sells 5 MLD to Srikalahasthi Pipes Ltd, earning a net ₹6 lakh a month, and supplies 18 MLD free to farmers.
With reference to the NAMASTE Scheme as described in the context of Swachhata Hi Seva 2026, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Identify the city on the basis of the following information:
Which one of the following is the city?
Consider the following pairs:
Place : Livelihood or sanitation initiative
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
