‘Wow, My Vadodara!’: PM Modi Praises City’s Cleanliness Drive

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people in Vadodara to turn the city’s recent cleanliness drive into a lasting civic habit, praising residents for their participation ahead of his visit.

Speaking at the ‘NaMo 4 Viksit Bharat’ programme at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, PM Modi said he had seen videos of the campaign and was impressed by the scale of public involvement. He described the initiative, conducted under ‘Swachhata se Swagat’, as a service-oriented gesture by Vadodara residents.

The Prime Minister said the campaign had encouraged families across the city to focus on cleanliness during the week before his visit.

PM Modi connected the effort with Vadodara’s upcoming festive season, which includes Ganeshotsav, Navratri and Diwali. He further encouraged residents to ensure that the city remains clean as celebrations begin.

“Now let us resolve that we will not let Vadodara become dirty,” PM Modi said in Gujarati, calling for the campaign to continue beyond his visit.

The Vadodara Municipal Corporation conducted the drive across public areas, lakes, gardens, healthcare and childcare facilities, heritage locations and water bodies. Sanitation workers, residents, officials, elected representatives, educational institutions and NGOs took part.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said sanitation workers and residents had cleaned roads, public spaces and surrounding areas. He further said 20 lakh saplings reached communities for plantation and other environmental initiatives.

PM Modi acknowledged the contribution of sanitation workers and citizens. He said their participation showed how cleanliness could become a form of public welcome.

The campaign took place ahead of PM Modi’s September 8 programme. During the programme, he inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth more than Rs 35,000 crore.

The programme featured the inauguration of the completed Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and new railway services. It further included railway capacity expansion and highway projects. Gujarat government initiatives covered housing, water supply, urban development and renewable energy.

Free registrations for the event opened through BookMyShow, with all available seats filled within an hour. More than 42,000 applicants subsequently joined the waiting list.

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