New Delhi, September 24: A nationwide cleanliness drive will be conducted on October 1 responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for "one hour of shramdaan for swachhata", the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said on Sunday. In a statement, the ministry said that in the run up to Gandhi Jayanti, a unique call has been given by the prime minister to fellow citizens.

In the 105th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', the prime minister appealed for "one hour of shramdaan for swachhata" at 10 am on October 1 by all citizens collectively, and it will be a 'swachhanjali' to Mahatma Gandhi on the eve of his jayanti, it said. BJP MPs To Take Part in Service, Cleanliness Activities During ‘Seva Pakhwara’ Starting From PM Modi’s 73rd Birthday.

"This mega cleanliness drive calls upon citizens from all walks of life to join in actual cleaning activities of public places like market spaces, railway tracks, water bodies, tourist locations, religious places etc," the statement said.

"Every town, gram panchayat, all sectors of the government like civil aviation, railways, information and technology etc, public institutions will be facilitating cleanliness events led by citizens," it said. It also said that NGOs, resident welfare associations and private organisations interested in organising cleanliness events can also apply online on the portals of urban local bodies or district administrations. Indian Swachhata League Kicks off with over 4,000 City Teams Joining Cleanliness Crusade.

The ministry said that this mega cleanliness drive is part of the "Swachhata Pakhwada- Swachhata Hi Seva-2023", being observed from September 15 till October 2.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)