The Housing & Urban Development (H&UD) Department, Government of Odisha, has launched a 15‑day state‑wide Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign titled “Aainagata Safai Surakhsita Safai” (Legal Cleaning, Safe Cleaning) across all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) from 7 to 21 August 2026.
The initiative serves as a precursor to the National Conclave on Garima, scheduled for 22 August 2026 at Lok Seva Bhavan, Bhubaneswar, commemorating Garima Day. The campaign aligns with the Garima Scheme’s vision to safeguard the dignity, health, and welfare of sanitation workers by promoting mechanised, legal septic‑tank and sewer cleaning and eliminating hazardous manual scavenging.
ULBs are conducting enforcement drives to identify and register cesspool vehicles, impose fines on illegal operators, and educate citizens, hotels, and institutions to route cleaning requests through official channels via the toll‑free helpline 14420 or registered Private Service Provider Organisations (PSSOs).
The campaign highlights Emergency Response Sanitation Units (ERSUs), mechanised cleaning equipment, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure zero human exposure to unsafe conditions. Dedicated IEC funds have been sanctioned for local execution.
Activities include door‑to‑door awareness drives, audio miking, hoardings, wall paintings, and social‑media outreach featuring sanitation workers’ testimonials and influencer endorsements. Community radio broadcasts, youth rallies, and pledge drives are engaging citizens at the grassroots level.
As the campaign concludes, focus will shift to health check‑ups for sanitation workers, scholarship distribution for their children, and felicitations recognising their service. The movement will culminate in the National Conclave on Garima, bringing together policymakers, municipal leaders, and sanitation workers to advance technology‑driven, dignified sanitation practices across India.
