Vadodara concluded a seven-day ‘MahasafaiAbhiyan’ on September 7, bringing citizens, civic authorities, students, NGOs and public representatives together for a city-wide cleanliness campaign ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit. A major highlight was a cleanliness Padyatra from Technology College (BadamdiBaug) to Sursagar, which drew around 2,500 participants, including school students, NGOs and VMC officers and employees. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harshbhai Sanghavi, Mayor Geetaben Makwana, MP Hemangbhai Joshi, Chief Whip Balakrishna Shukla, MLA Keyurbhai Rokadiya, Municipal Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu (IAS), Deputy Mayor Aditya Patel and other senior dignitaries also joined the march.
Participants carried placards promoting cleanliness, civic pride and public responsibility. The campaign culminated at Sursagar Lake with the cultural programme “Swachhata – grahinu Samarpan, Shivjine Arpan”, where singer Kailash Kher performed before an audience of around 7,000 people.The programme also honoured Swachhata Doots for their contribution to cleanliness awareness. A special aarti at Sursagar Lake, attended by senior public representatives and civic leaders, marked the conclusion of the week-long campaign.
The campaign highlights the growing importance of coordinated civic participation and cleanliness initiatives in major urban markets such as Kolkata, where sustained public involvement can support cleaner public spaces, improve civic infrastructure and contribute to a more organised urban environment.