This is the English version of our Marathi essay on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Points / Outline
- The importance of cleanliness in life
- The start of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – 2 October 2014
- The main aims of the mission
- Diseases and losses caused by uncleanliness
- The participation of citizens and students
- Cleanliness should become a daily habit
- Conclusion – a clean nation is a healthy nation
Essay
The sight of a clean home, a clean courtyard and clean surroundings instantly makes us feel cheerful. Cleanliness is not just about how things look; it is linked to our health and happiness. Where there is cleanliness, there is less illness and people live happier lives.
To spread awareness about cleanliness in our country, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) was launched on 2 October 2014, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji insisted on cleanliness throughout his life, which is why his birth anniversary was chosen for this mission. Citizens, schools, offices and villages all over the country took part in it.
The main aim of the mission is to keep the country's villages and cities clean. To end the practice of open defecation, special emphasis was placed on building toilets in every home. Keeping roads, markets, railway stations and public places clean, managing waste properly and building the habit of cleanliness in people's minds are also important aims of the mission.
The effects of uncleanliness are very serious. Flies and mosquitoes breed on garbage lying in the open. Stagnant water spreads diseases like malaria and dengue. Contaminated water causes stomach illnesses. Dirty surroundings also spoil the beauty of villages and cities. Illness wastes both people's time and their money.
The dream of a clean India cannot be fulfilled by the government's efforts alone; every citizen has to take part. We should not throw garbage on the road but only in the dustbin. We should keep wet and dry waste separate. We should not spit in public places. Students can keep their classroom, playground and school surroundings clean, and carry the message of cleanliness to their homes and neighbours. Washing hands with soap before meals and after using the toilet is also a part of cleanliness.
Proper waste management is an important part of cleanliness. Wet waste – vegetable peels, leftover food, fallen leaves – can be turned into compost at home, which is useful for garden plants. If dry waste such as paper, plastic, glass and metal is kept separate, it can be recycled. If we use less single-use plastic, the amount of waste will also go down. In this way, waste can stop being a problem and become a useful resource.
Cleanliness should not be a one-day campaign; it should become a daily habit. Picking up a broom and taking a photo one day is not enough; keeping our surroundings clean every day is true service to the nation. Just as we keep our own home clean, we should feel that our country, too, is our home.
A clean nation is a healthy nation, and only a healthy nation can progress. Let us all together take the pledge "My surroundings, my responsibility" and make India clean in the true sense.
10 Lines
- Cleanliness is very important for our health.
- Swachh Bharat Abhiyan began on 2 October 2014.
- That day is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
- The aim of the mission is to keep the country's villages and cities clean.
- Special emphasis was placed on building a toilet in every home.
- Uncleanliness increases mosquitoes, flies and disease.
- We should always throw garbage only in the dustbin.
- Wet and dry waste should be kept separate.
- We should wash our hands with soap before meals.
- Building a clean India is the responsibility of all of us.
Writing tips
- Write the start of the mission correctly (2 October 2014, Gandhi Jayanti); do not add other figures or claims on your own.
- Use separate paragraphs for the aims of the mission, the effects of uncleanliness and our own role.
- End with a slogan of your own, such as "My surroundings, my responsibility" or "A clean nation is a healthy nation."
- Writing about your own experience of a cleanliness drive at school makes the essay come alive.