With the onset of the monsoon season the challenges of cleanliness and sanitation are heightened, posing risks of water-borne and vector-borne diseases. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), under the flagship of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), is intensifying its focus on health-centric urban sanitation through ‘Safai Apnao, Bimaari Bhagao’ (SABB) campaign (1st - 31st July, 2025). Aligned with the Mission’s motto ‘Swabhav Swachhata, Sanskaar Swachhata’, like previous year, the campaign continues its two-pronged approach - mobilizing citizens and ULBs to adopt Swachhata and implement preventive cleanliness and awareness measures to curb disease outbreaks.

SABB Campaign 2025 aims to reduce public health risks by tackling clogged drains, garbage hotspots, water stagnation, and ensuring access to sanitation and safe drinking water. It promotes hygiene and handwashing, especially in slums, schools, and high-footfall areas, through surveillance and awareness drives. Behavioural nudges encourage clean, healthy neighbourhoods, with cleanliness drives for community and public toilets. ULBs must maintain drains, prevent waste in water bodies to curb diseases like Dengue, Malaria, and Chikungunya. The month-long campaign focuses on cleaner cities through effective waste management especially in water bodies, preventive cleaning of drains and garbage hotspot reduction.

Citizens play a key role in maintaining public health and swachhata. To prevent water and vector-borne diseases, it is essential to practice the 6 mantras of SABB: (1) Clean Hands (2) Clean Homes (3) Clean Neighbourhood (4) Clean Toilets (5) Clean Drains and Waterbodies (6) Clean Public Spaces. Preventive cleaning of water bodies and drains is an essential part of the monsoon preparedness. It is crucial to prevent water stagnation and the breeding of mosquitoes and other disease vectors. Citizens should also ensure that open drains are not clogged with waste, and that water storage containers are kept covered and cleaned periodically. It is important to prevent water stagnation inside homes and surroundings. Avoid littering and actively use separate litterbins in public places. Any cleanliness issues can be reported through the Swachhata App for timely redressal by ULBs.

ULBs must coordinate across departments, identify high-risk areas for focused sanitation action. They should ensure regular waste collection, reduce garbage hotspots, and maintain public toilets, especially in vulnerable zones. The campaign emphasizes child hygiene through school handwashing drives, access to safe drinking water, and door-to-door awareness. Partnerships with RWAs, NGOs, and others will boost outreach. Special focus includes clean water access and hygiene for SafaiMitras. All activities are to be logged and reported on the Swachhatam Portal (https://admin.sbmurban.org/) by the ULBs.

During the campaign, Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) in 100 Smart Cities will be activated to focus on cleaning public spaces like food streets, markets, and heritage sites, using the integrated command and control centers for innovation.

Like previous year, it will be carried out in alignment with Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), MoHUA, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL).

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SK