In line with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision, the Uttar Pradesh government is not only working towards developing Ayodhya into the cultural capital of the country but is also gearing up to transform it into the cleanest city, with all its wards expected to be free of filth and dirt within a year.

Following Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s directive, an action plan has been prepared to transform the wards through effective waste management, maintaining health hygiene and conducting regular cleaning.

In this regard, the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation will be supported by agencies, non-profit groups, self-help organizations, and proprietorship firms to enhance waste management, capacity building, health hygiene, awareness, and cleanliness processes. Through these efforts, areas generating waste will be identified to improve waste management practices.

As part of the initiative, 800 Safai Mitras have been deployed in the city and a campaign has been launched to make all the wards of Ayodhya free from dirt ahead of the Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) of Ram Lalla’s idols on 22 January, 2024.

The Municipal Corporation is also focusing on completing the processes of sensitising the entire waste generation communities/stakeholders about their ethical, social, and constitutional roles and responsibilities towards safe sanitation and waste management practices. As part of this, a 100 per cent collection of segregated waste (wet, dry, sanitary, household, and biohazard) will be done according to the appropriate categories.

Through a systematic door-to-door waste collection, all households will be made waste-free in all wards through well-coordinated efforts at waste generation points. Efforts will be made to actively involve the public in all mission campaigns initiated by the local body. The focus is on achieving the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0 criteria of the 5-star city category within a year.

In this endeavour, the aim is to fulfil all waste management standards up to 30 per cent in the next month and 100 per cent within 5 to 12 months in various categories.

While the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation is putting maximum emphasis on cleanliness to bring back the splendour of the Treta Yuga, the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) is focusing primarily on beautifying the city. As part of this initiative, ADA has initiated the installation process of 6-foot tall and 6-foot wide 3D and basic 4D illuminated laser-cut metal sculptures at various locations in the city through the agency.

Besides, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will launch a mega cleanliness campaign starting from Makar Sankranti in Ayodhya.

Following this, an extensive cleanliness campaign will be carried out in every village, city, and locality of the state. The responsibility for this has been entrusted to the Urban Development and Panchayati Raj Departments.

Meanwhile, Champat Rai, the general secretary of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, accepted a huge 500 kg Nagada (drum) that reached Ayodhya on Wednesday in a special chariot from Gujarat.

Rai assured that the Nagada will be installed at an appropriate place. Gujarat VHP leader Ashok Rawal has also sent a letter requesting its acceptance.

Chirag Patel, who brought the Nagada, said that it is adorned with layers of gold and silver. The construction of Nagada involves the use of both iron and copper plates. It was made by people belonging to the Dabgar community. The huge Nagada, a symbol of Hindu culture, has been built in the Daryapur extension of the Karnavati metropolis for its installation in the Ram temple.