Surat Launches Mega Cleanliness Drive Ahead of PM Modi’s Visit

• Massive cleanliness drive conducted across Surat ahead of PM Modi’s visit
• Campaign covers 26 km of roads and more than 800 locations
• Union Minister C.R. Patil participates in shramdaan at Umara Nagar
• Prime Minister to launch and inaugurate projects worth ₹18,000 crore in Surat

GG News Bureau
Surat, 4th June: A massive cleanliness campaign was carried out across Surat on the eve of World Environment Day and ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the city, with Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil personally participating in the initiative and calling upon citizens to preserve Surat’s status as India’s cleanest city.

The city-wide campaign covered nearly 26 kilometres of roads and more than 800 locations, reflecting an intensified effort by civic authorities and Bharatiya Janata Party workers to enhance cleanliness before the Prime Minister’s arrival.

A special cleanliness programme was organized in Umara Nagar under Ward No. 20, where Patil joined local residents, civic officials and BJP workers in shramdaan activities.

Speaking on the occasion, Patil said Surat has earned the distinction of being ranked the cleanest city in the country and stressed that every citizen must contribute to maintaining that achievement.

“Surat has achieved the honour of being India’s number one city in cleanliness. Every citizen must remain vigilant and contribute so that this prestigious position remains intact,” he said.

The Union Minister credited sanitation workers, Surat Municipal Corporation officials, BJP workers and aware citizens for the city’s success in cleanliness rankings.

Patil noted that Prime Minister Modi would visit Surat on World Environment Day and dedicate, inaugurate and lay foundation stones for public welfare and infrastructure projects worth approximately ₹18,000 crore.

The minister said the Prime Minister’s visit has generated widespread enthusiasm across the city.

Highlighting the significance of the Swachh Bharat Mission, Patil said Prime Minister Modi has consistently placed cleanliness among the government’s highest priorities since assuming office in 2014.

He recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s emphasis on sanitation during the freedom movement and said the Swachh Bharat initiative had transformed public awareness and sanitation practices across the country.

Patil also pointed to the construction of millions of toilets in rural India, saying the initiative had led to substantial improvements in cleanliness and public health.

According to organizers, Surat Municipal Corporation and BJP workers have been conducting extensive sanitation campaigns across the city for the past week in preparation for the Prime Minister’s visit.

The programme in Umara Nagar was attended by local corporators Rajnish Desai, Rajesh Rana and Pratibha Desai, along with BJP functionaries, civic officials and a large number of volunteers.

Officials said the cleanliness campaign was aimed not only at improving sanitation standards but also at creating greater public awareness about environmental responsibility and community participation in maintaining a clean urban environment.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for major development projects during his visit, further strengthening Surat’s infrastructure and economic growth trajectory.