New Delhi

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti on Monday rolled out the nationwide 'Swachh Gaon, Surakshit Jalvayu' (SGSJ) campaign to promote sustainable waste management practices in rural India.

Announcing the initiative on social media, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil said the campaign has been launched under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G) as part of a national Information, Education and Communication (IEC) drive coinciding with World Environment Day 2026.

The five-day campaign, running from June 1 to June 5, is aligned with this year's World Environment Day theme, "Climate Action". It aims to strengthen solid waste management systems in villages while encouraging environmentally responsible lifestyles under the Mission LiFE initiative.

According to the minister, the campaign seeks to support the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, increase awareness among rural communities, and accelerate progress towards achieving ODF Plus (Model) status in villages.

As part of the outreach programme, DDWS will focus on educating rural stakeholders about various provisions of the new waste management rules and clarifying the responsibilities of local institutions, communities and other participants involved in sanitation efforts.

Patil said he interacted with village heads from several states, including Bhishmpur in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district, Attaval in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, Damarapatpar in Assam's Goalpara district and Nigve Dumala in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district.

During the discussions, the sarpanches shared their experiences in areas such as solid waste management, community participation, involvement of self-help groups, efforts to eliminate single-use plastics, food waste disposal systems and the collection of user charges for sanitation services.

Highlighting the importance of local leadership, the minister said village heads would play a pivotal role in ensuring the successful implementation of the SGSJ campaign and the Solid Waste Management Rules at the grassroots level.

READ MORE: Adeeba Anam's story of becoming first Muslim woman IAS from Maharashtra is inspirational

He also underscored the need to prioritise plastic waste management, convert single-pit toilets into twin-pit systems, strengthen user-fee collection mechanisms and ensure proper upkeep of waste management infrastructure in rural areas.