New Delhi, Nov 9 (NationPress) The Government has successfully generated an impressive Rs 4,085.24 crore through five focused annual cleanliness (Swachhata) campaigns, each lasting a month since 2021. This was achieved via the disposal of scrap, including electronic waste, from various central government offices as part of the Special Swachhata initiative, stated Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Sunday.

Dr. Singh also pointed out that another vital achievement of the campaign was the liberation of 231.75 lakh square feet of space, which was previously cluttered with waste materials, old furniture, and scrap.

“Remarkably, the revenue of over Rs 4,085 crore from scrap sales could cover the budget of a significant space mission or several Chandrayaan missions. Additionally, the amount of space recovered is sufficient to construct a large mall or another substantial economic structure,” the minister remarked.

Dr. Singh elaborated that during his first Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for Swachhata from the Red Fort, which soon transformed into a mass movement, leading to the construction of over four lakh toilets in the first year. Concurrently, there was a push to eliminate redundant office files and broken furniture from government premises.

In 2021, following Prime Minister Modi's directive, it was decided that while Swachhata is an ongoing initiative, a dedicated Special Swachhata campaign would take place each October, from Gandhi Jayanti on the 2nd to the 31st, with all government ministries and departments mandated to participate and report their achievements.

Dr. Singh noted that beyond conventional scrap, there has been a significant amount of electronic waste in offices that could be disposed of not just to generate revenue for the State but also to create wealth through recycling.

He explained that at the conclusion of last year's Special Swachhata campaign 4.0, nearly Rs. 3,300 crore had been earned, with an additional Rs. 788.53 crore collected during this year’s campaign 5.0, which ran from October 2 to October 31, 2025. Thus, the total earnings exceed Rs 4,085 crore.

This year's Special Swachhata campaign 5.0 coincided with extensive Waste to Wealth initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Science & Technology. This includes the recycling of hospital waste using a method developed by CSIR-NIIST Thiruvananthapuram and implemented at AIIMS New Delhi, recycling of cooking oil by CSIR-IIP Dehradun, and using steel sludge for road construction through a technology pioneered by CSIR-CRRI New Delhi.