Over 22,000 people from different walks of life join in & collect 16,000 kgs of garbage to realise Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a clean & prosperous India
Displaying its commitment towards cleanliness and environment protection, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) carried out a massive cleanliness drive across the country on October 01, 2023, as part of ‘Swachhata Pakhdawa: Swachhata Hi Seva’. Under ‘Ek Tarikh, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath’, the ICG orchestrated a coast-to-coast mission aimed at uniting people from all walks of life and creating awareness about the importance of cleanliness. The drive spanned the entire coastal belt, from the pristine Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the East to the captivating coastal areas of mainland India and the picturesque Lakshadweep Islands in the West.
The cleanliness drive witnessed an extraordinary show of unity and responsibility. The ICG officers, personnel, their families, school children, NGOs and local communities enthusiastically participated in the drive across the country. A total of 22,346 people came together, shouldering the responsibility of cleaning their surroundings. Collectively, they collected 16,055 kilograms of garbage in specially designed gunny bags. This act reflected the sense of people’s responsibility towards the environment. It was a shining example of the success of the mass movement launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-led Government to realise Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a clean and prosperous India. To emphasise the significance of environmental preservation, the ICG used only biodegradable collection material during the drive. The initiative not only cleaned the coastal regions but was successful in fostering a sense of unity and responsibility among all the people.
In Delhi NCR, special cleanliness drives and plantation activities took place at the ICG headquarters in New Delhi and Noida, led by DG Rakesh Pal. Officers, enrolled personnel, civilian staff, families and students from Kendriya Vidyalaya actively participated in the activities in and around ICG office spaces and residential premises, as part of the ‘Ek Tarikh, Ek Ghanta, Ek Saath’ initiative. In addition, the ICG ran a social media campaign with hashtags #SpecialSwachhtaCampaign3.0, #SwachhBharat and #SwachhtaHiSeva-SHS to encourage the people, especially the youth, to ensure cleanliness.