As a run up to Swachh Bharat Diwas on 2nd October, 2023, a day that the nation celebrates the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Centre plans to introduce Swachh Bharat Mission 2023’s new theme -Garbage Free India.

This theme will come into effect with effect from October 2,2023.

Already,the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Dept. of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti are organizing the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ fortnight 15th September to 2nd October, 2023, in collaboration with other Ministries, tocelebrate 9 years of Swachh Bharat Mission.

The backbone of the Mission has been jan andolan for swachhata. As such,the theme for SHS 2023 has been billed as “Garbage Free India”. 

Events planned as part of the fortnight will serve as a build up to Swachhata Diwas 2023 and reaffirm the commitment of all to make India clean and garbage free. 

SHS-2023 will focus on achieving visibly higher order of cleanliness across local bodies through the spirit of voluntarism and shramdaan, as well as on the welfare of SafaiMitras. 

All Ministries and Depts. will be organizing swachhata drives across offices, public places of high footfall such as bus stands, railway stations, beaches, tourist spots, zoos, national parks and sanctuaries, historical monuments, heritage sites, river fronts, ghats, drains and nallahs in both rural and urban areas of the States/UTs. 

The activities will include removal of garbage from all important spaces, clearing of legacy waste, repairing, painting, cleaning, and branding of all sanitation assets such as litter bins, public toilets, garbage points, waste transportation vehicles, and Material Recovery Facilities, saturating markets, public spaces, and tourist spots with SBM wall paintings and dustbins, organizing swachhataquizzes, plantation drives, swachhata pledges and swachhata runs,etc.