Patna: Bihar has launched the Swachhata Hi Seva Pakhwada 2026 across the state under the Lohia Swachh Bihar Abhiyan (LSBA), with a focus on public participation, better waste management and turning discarded material into useful products.
The special cleanliness campaign will run from September 17 to October 2 across Bihar’s panchayats. The initiative aims to take cleanliness beyond routine government activities and encourage communities, local representatives, children, youth and Jeevika groups to participate actively.
The state-level programme was organised on September 17 at the Lohia Swachh Bihar Abhiyan office at Sai Corporate Centre in Rukanpura, Patna, under the direction of Rural Development and Information and Public Relations Minister Shravan Kumar.
Bihar Pushes ‘Waste to Wealth’ Approach
In his message, Minister Shravan Kumar highlighted the work being carried out through the Lohia Swachh Bihar Abhiyan in rural areas.
Around 1.30 lakh sanitation workers are working across Bihar to keep panchayats clean. They collect household waste and transport it to waste processing units, where the waste undergoes further treatment and disposal.
The state is now looking beyond waste collection and disposal, with a greater focus on waste-to-wealth initiatives. Dry waste is increasingly being processed to create useful products, providing a practical way to reduce waste while encouraging resource recovery.
The minister directed officials to turn cleanliness activities in panchayats into a people’s movement, with Jeevika women’s groups expected to play an important role.
Read Also: Bihta Airport Flight Operations: Bihar Orders Swift Action to Clear Key Hurdles
Plastic Waste Finds New Life Through ‘Waste to Art’
Bihar is also promoting creative ways to reuse waste. LSBA State Coordinator Rajesh Kumar said several initiatives have been taken under the Waste to Art concept.
Plastic waste is being processed to create products such as tables, chairs, flower vases and other decorative and household items. Such initiatives can help demonstrate how discarded material can be converted into useful resources instead of being treated only as waste.
The state coordinator stressed that these efforts need to expand so that waste reaches the right processing channels and is disposed of or reused scientifically.
The campaign also seeks to make cleanliness part of everyday behaviour rather than treating it as a short-term government drive.
Heritage and Religious Sites to Get Special Cleaning
As part of Swachhata Hi Seva 2026, special cleanliness drives will be organised at locations with heritage, historical, cultural, tourism and religious significance across the state.
These sites will be identified and cleaned with public participation. The campaign will also cover schools and Anganwadi centres in panchayats, where cleanliness activities will be combined with plantation drives.
Jeevika groups, panchayat mukhiyas and other elected representatives will participate in these activities, creating a wider community network around the campaign.
Children and Youth to Be Involved
The campaign places particular emphasis on behavioural change among people of different age groups.
Children and young people will be made aware of cleanliness, waste management and innovations that can turn waste into useful products. Officials stressed that sustained improvement requires participation from children as well as senior citizens and other sections of society.
The state coordinator said cleanliness should become part of social and moral behaviour. He also referred to Bihar’s experience during the Chhath festival, when cleanliness becomes an important part of community participation.
District officials have also been asked to prepare plans for the quality disposal of waste generated in their respective areas.
Ganga Awareness Rath to Cover 12 Districts
A major public-awareness component of the campaign is the Ganga Swachhata Awareness Rath, which was flagged off during the state-level programme.
Equipped with digital screens and audio-visual facilities, the awareness vehicle will travel across 12 districts to spread messages about Swachhata Hi Seva and comprehensive cleanliness.
The campaign will use these outreach activities to connect cleanliness with environmental protection, disease prevention and responsible public behaviour.
Regular Review of Panchayat Cleanliness
To maintain momentum beyond the fortnight-long campaign, the LSBA state coordinator directed officials to hold a virtual meeting every month on a fixed date to review cleanliness activities in panchayats.
The programme also highlighted the role of development partners in Bihar’s sanitation efforts. Representatives associated with organisations including UNICEF, Aga Khan Foundation, ITC, Water for People, WATS Foundation and DMRI were acknowledged for their contribution to sanitation-related work.
The state-level event also saw the release of a book documenting notable innovations undertaken in different districts of Bihar in the field of cleanliness.
Focus on Community Participation
The Swachhata Hi Seva campaign is designed to make cleanliness a shared responsibility rather than an activity limited to government departments.
With sanitation workers handling waste collection, processing units managing waste treatment, panchayats coordinating local activities and community groups supporting awareness, Bihar is seeking to build a more integrated rural sanitation system.
The emphasis on waste processing and Waste to Art also adds an economic and environmental dimension to the campaign. By finding new uses for dry and plastic waste, the state aims to reduce waste going to disposal sites while encouraging local innovation.
As Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 continues until October 2, the focus will remain on combining infrastructure, waste management and behavioural change. The larger objective is to make cleaner villages, responsible waste practices and community participation a regular part of life across Bihar.
Read Also: Bihar Tightens Wildlife Trafficking Watch, Maps Sensitive Routes Across Rail, Road and Air
