Telangana bags 'Gandagi Mukt Bharat' award

Telangana Gandagi Mukt Bharat award: On the occasion of Swachh Bharat Diwas on Gandhi Jayanti, Telangana has been honoured with Gandagi Mukt Bharat Award under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) for securing 1st position. The Gandagi Mukt Bharat was a week-long campaign from August 8 to 15, 2020 organised by Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), to free India of garbage and waste.

The virtual award was presented by Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and was received by Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Secretary, Panchayat Raj & Rural Development and M Raghunandan Rao, Department's Commissioner and VSLV Prasad, Special Commissioner, Telangana Ku Haritha Haram at the award ceremony.

According to officials, the DDWS had launched three campaigns in the last year. The first was a six-month campaign, 'Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shauchalaya (SSSS)' from November 1, 2019 to April, 30, 2020. The second campaign over four months was called 'Samudayik Shauchalaya Abhiyan (SSA)' from June 15, 2020 to September 15, 2020 to mobilise districts and villages to construct and maintain their community toilets.