Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 Begins Nationwide
The annual Swachhata Hi Seva campaign has begun across India with a renewed focus on public participation, rural sanitation and continuous improvement in cleanliness services.
The Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign commenced across India on Thursday, continuing the annual initiative aimed at encouraging citizens to actively participate in maintaining cleanliness in their communities and surroundings.
Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil announced the campaign, saying this year's theme is “Swachhata Mein Sahbhag, Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat.” The campaign seeks to expand public participation in cleanliness efforts across states, villages and gram panchayats.
Patil said cleanliness has increasingly developed into a people-driven movement supported by public participation, rather than remaining limited to government programmes.
Highlighting progress in rural sanitation, the minister said 5.25 lakh villages have been declared free of open defecation, while 12.22 crore individual household toilets have been constructed in rural India since 2014.
Participation in the annual campaign has also expanded significantly. According to Patil, more than 18 crore citizens participated in Swachhata Hi Seva last year, including around 14 crore people from rural areas. The government aims to bring every state, village, panchayat and more citizens into the campaign this year.
Alongside the campaign, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has introduced Swachh Seva Aankalan for programmes under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).
Under the initiative, gram panchayats will conduct self-assessments of rural sanitation service delivery. The exercise is intended not only to measure cleanliness outcomes but also to encourage continuous improvements in sanitation systems at the village level.
The 2026 campaign therefore combines nationwide citizen participation with a stronger assessment mechanism for rural sanitation, as the government continues its broader cleanliness and sanitation programme.