Special Swachhta Campaign 2.0 in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change began with the preparatory phase on 14.09.2022 with identification of the pending references and items to be disposed of. After the completion of preparatory phase on 30.09.2022, the campaign phase began on 02.10.2022.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change identified 73 campaign sites which included the attached/subordinate organizations like Botanical survey of India, Zoological Survey of India, Forest Survey of India, National Zoological Park, G.B.Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, National Museum of Natural History, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Central Pollution Control Board etc.

These 73 campaign sites identified pendency in respect of 11 parameters suggested by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances viz., pending Parliamentary Assurances, pending cabinet proposals, pending public grievances and Appeals, Pending References from MPs, State Govt., PMO and identified quantity of scrap/waste including e waste for disposal.

Key Achievements as on 31.10.2022

The 73 campaign sites disposed of 174 tonnes of scrap which includes wooden and metallic waste items. More than 8500 items of e-waste which included keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner has also been disposed of. More than 41,000 sq. ft of office space in the Ministry as well as in the subordinate organisations/attached offices has been created. In terms of pending References from MPs, 71 references have been disposed of during the one-month long Swachhta campaign 2.0. 1029 Public Grievances have been disposed of against the pendency of 1182, during the campaign phase.

During the campaign period, the Ministry has also simplified the rules/procedures which include Exempting warehouses from the requirement of prior EC and issuing clarification that Environmental Clearance is not required for maintenance of Airports and as a separate category in pump storage projects, for expediting EC, with suitable environmental safeguards, for renewable power generation (Clean energy).

Coastal Cleanup activities has been undertaken by ZSI in different localities at Indian peninsular coast and Island coast by involving School and College students.  Altogether 13 beaches to the stretch of 16 km have been cleaned up with the participation of 673 school and college students besides the staff of ZSI.

At Sikkim Regional Centre (SRC) of G B Pant institute, training was imparted to residents of Institute campus and staff of SRC, and to the students of Takse International School and NBB College towards waste segregation, its proper management and making of bio and vermi-compost using the biodegradable waste.

At Himachal Regional Centre of G B Pant institute, non-biodegradable waste in the form of plastic and glass is recycled into eco-bricks. With the use of Eco-Brick machine, PET bottles and single-use plastic wrappers are transformed into interlocking bricks.

National Museum of Natural History at New Delhi with its regional centres at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysore and Sawai Madhopur organized ‘Green talks’ to sensitize school children to adopt habits which will be helpful in keeping the environment neat, clean and healthy and will also be beneficial for their own health. Green pledge to keep the environment neat and clean was also administered in the schools.

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HS/SSV