BENGALURU: Following in the footsteps of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Mission, villages of rural Bengaluru have come up with ‘Swachh Shanivar’, where the locals volunteer to clean up their village on the third Saturday of every month.
According to gram panchayat officials, the idea was started by Swachh Bharat nodal officer Kishore Kumar, who implemented this programme first in villages located in east of Bengaluru.
After the programme became a success, it has been started in 96 gram panchayats. “As part of the programme, all the villages in 96 gram panchayats, except for South, have been adopted. Under this, third Saturday will be observed as ‘Swacch Shanivar’,” Swachh Bharat Mission nodal officer Dr Siddaramaiah said.Interestingly, all heads of gram panchayats hold a meeting every month and decide which village will be chosen for the programme that particular month.
Later, an order announcing the same will be sent to the village’s gram panchayat, who will in turn, inform volunteers of the village. “The third Saturday will be fixed, and later all volunteers from the village will turn up to clean the areas identified in the village,” he explained.
This initiative has gained a lot of positive response among not only elders of the village, but also women, school and college students. NGOs have also shown interest in doing the same.
“We have already started the programme, which has been received positively. We clear railway tracks, dried wells, school and hospital premises. From the aged to the young, everyone can participate,” said a gram panchayat member from Anekal.