MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today picked up a broom and swept a lane in the busy Crawford Market here while launching the 15-day sanitation campaign - 'Swachhta hi Seva'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently urged his council of ministers to "make India clean" and ensure that the 'Swachhta hi Seva' (cleanliness is service) fortnight, starting today across the country, is a grand success.
The cleanliness fortnight, marking the third anniversary of the launch of the 'Clean India Mission', is being celebrated in the country from today to October 2.
Launching the campaign in Maharashtra, Fadnavis along with his cabinet colleague Subhash Desai, MLA Raj Purohit, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and sanitation workers swept the lanes of the Crawford Market in south Mumbai, collected the waste and disposed it in a dust bin.
Later, Fadnavis appealed to the residents of the city and the state to come forward and join the government's effort to keep their surroundings neat and clean.
"If we have to keep our city and surroundings clean, then we have to dedicate a few minutes daily on cleanliness.
We have to make our city clean and beautiful," he said.
The chief minister also stressed on the importance of segregating dry and wet garbage at the source of the origin, and appealed to the people to help the BMC in this mission.
Fadnavis later tweeted, "Participated in Swachhta Abhiyan at Crawford Market this morning to mark 3rd anniversary of #SwachhBharatMission ! #SwachhtaHiSeva."
"Hon @narendramodi ji has appealed us to join for massive Jan-Andolan for sanitation from 15th Sept to 2nd Oct," he said in another tweet.
The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation is coordinating the campaign.