DW Bureua | Chandigarh, October 2: Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu on Thursday said cleanliness was an important part of quality of life and called for greater public participation in maintaining sanitation and civic infrastructure.

Sandhu made the remarks while participating in a cleanliness drive at the Sector 26 Grain Market on Gandhi Jayanti. The drive was held under the leadership of Mahendra Nath Pandey, BJP's Chandigarh in-charge and former Union Minister, as part of the Sewa Sankalp Abhiyan.'?

Chandigarh BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra, former president Arun Sood and Mayor Saurabh Joshi were among those who participated in the drive along with party workers, local representatives and residents.

Sandhu said the Swachh Bharat Mission, launched on October 2, 2014, had evolved from a government programme into a nationwide public movement. He said governments were responsible for providing sanitation infrastructure, while citizens had a role in maintaining cleanliness and using such facilities responsibly.

According to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, rural India had more than 12.22 crore individual household toilets as of September 17, 2026. More than 5.69 lakh villages had achieved ODF Plus status, with solid waste management arrangements in over 5.38 lakh villages and liquid waste management systems in more than 5.65 lakh villages.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs said door-to-door waste collection covered 97 per cent of urban wards in 2026, while waste processing had increased from 16 per cent in 2014 to 81 per cent.'?

A ministry review in May 2026 said 65 per cent of the 26 crore metric tonnes of waste identified across 2,482 dumpsites had been remediated, reclaiming nearly 9,000 acres. Chandigarh's Dadumajra dumpsite is among those undergoing remediation.

At Delhi's Bhalswa dumpsite, 99.07 lakh metric tonnes had been remediated as of July 31, 2026, the ministry said.

Sandhu said cleanliness was particularly important in busy markets because of its impact on public health and the livelihoods of traders, vendors and consumers. He urged shopkeepers and visitors to dispose of waste responsibly and help maintain cleanliness in the market.