CM Dhami Leads Cleanliness Drive, Tree Plantation at Khatima Temple
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday, 15 June 2026, led a cleanliness drive and tree-plantation activity at a local temple dedicated to Maa Purnagiri in Khatima, marking the completion of 12 years of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.
Sharing the initiative on X, CM Dhami wrote that a swachhata abhiyan (cleanliness drive) was conducted at the temple premises, followed by sapling plantation under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign — translated as 'One Tree in the Name of Mother' — as a contribution to building a greener India.
Context
Khatima, a town in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand, is home to a temple dedicated to Goddess Purnagiri, a revered Shakti Peeth that draws pilgrims from across the region. CM Dhami, who represents the Khatima assembly constituency, has a personal association with the town, lending added significance to the choice of venue.
The 15 June event was framed explicitly as a commemoration of the BJP-led central government completing 12 years — a reference to the period from May 2014, when Prime Minister Modi first assumed office, through 2026.
Policy Backdrop
The dual drive draws from two distinct central government frameworks. The Swachh Bharat Mission, launched in October 2014, has consistently targeted public and religious spaces for sanitation improvement, with temple precincts featuring prominently in state-level drives across Uttarakhand given the state's dense network of pilgrimage centres.
The 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign is a more recent afforestation push by the Ministry of Environment, encouraging citizens to plant trees as a tribute to their mothers and as part of India's broader climate and forest-cover goals. CM Dhami's post positions the Khatima plantation as a contribution to this national drive.
Stakeholders and Impact
The immediate beneficiaries are Khatima residents and devotees of the Maa Purnagiri temple, whose premises received both a cleanliness intervention and new saplings. CM Dhami emphasised in his post that 'cleanliness and environmental protection are the collective responsibility of all of us,' calling for sustained people's participation — janabhagidari — to preserve the sanctity and natural beauty of religious sites.
The event fits a broader pattern in which BJP-governed states mark central government anniversaries through simultaneous, highly visible civic activities at religious sites, combining Swachh Bharat messaging with newer green-India slogans to drive public engagement.
What's Next
CM Dhami expressed the wish that Maa Purnagiri's blessings remain with everyone and that society moves toward a 'clean, healthy and green future.' Whether the sapling survival rates under 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' are tracked and reported, and whether similar drives are extended to other Uttarakhand shrines ahead of the monsoon season, will determine the longer-term environmental impact of such initiatives.