Yogi Adityanath picked up a broom and sweeped the streets of Lucknow to spread awareness on cleanliness.(Video Grab)
Lucknow: Following Uttar Pradesh’s poor performance in Swachh Survekshan survey, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself picked up a broom and swept the streets of Lucknow on Friday to spread awareness on cleanliness.
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Officials, including his ministerial colleague Suresh Khanna, accompanied him at the congested Baloo Addar locality in Ram Mohan ward, PTI reported. In order to check the ground reality, Adityanath also interacted with locals and inspected a ‘sulabh shauchalaya'(public toilet) in the area.
Only one city of the state, Varanasi, had figured in the list of 100 clean cities in the government’s ‘Swachh Survekshan 2017’. Nine others were among the 15 dirtiest districts in the country with Gonda turning out to be the dirtiest city in India.
“Although this survey was taken up before we took over, our government has decided to work in this area and by December 2017 we aim to declare 30 districts and by October 2018 the entire state open defecation-free,” he said in the press conference on Friday.
He also gave instructions to the municipal staff present on the occasion to maintain cleanliness and said it was among the top priorities of the government.
“Why is the state capital so dirty? It is a matter of concern as to why Lucknow does not figure in the list of 100 clean cities…make all preparations before the onset of monsoon to clean the drains so that they do not overflow on the streets…“All wards should be given clear instructions on cleanliness…people should be made aware of not littering on the roads and use of dustbins,” he told the municipal department officials.
After taking over as the chief minister, Yogi had administered a pledge of cleanliness to officials and asked them to clean up their neighbourhoods.
(With PTI inputs)