The Maharashtra government will conduct a statewide school cleanliness drive from October 18 to 31, combining deep cleaning, minor repairs, waste management and safety inspections across school premises. The campaign will involve school management committees, teachers, students, parents, former students, villagers and local community organisations.
The School Education Department issued a circular outlining the two-phase initiative, titled the “Chala Shalet Jau Ya Special School Cleanliness Campaign”. The drive is intended to make school campuses cleaner, safer and more welcoming while encouraging environmental conservation, dignity of labour, social responsibility and discipline among students.
The first phase, from October 18 to 24, will focus on planning and assessment. Schools will hold special meetings of their School Management Committees and coordinate the participation of different stakeholders. They will inspect classrooms, offices, laboratories, libraries, computer rooms, toilets, drinking water facilities and playgrounds before preparing action plans.
These plans will identify cleaning requirements, minor repairs, maintenance work and beautification measures. The department has directed schools to assess conditions across their campuses rather than limit the exercise to classrooms or visible public areas.
The second phase, from October 25 to 31, will involve implementing the plans. Classrooms and other rooms will undergo deep cleaning covering floors, walls, doors, windows, ceilings and fans. Toilets, handwashing areas, drinking water tanks and water supply systems will also be cleaned.
Schools will remove waste and unnecessary materials from their premises, playgrounds and entrances. They will also establish suitable waste segregation systems and take measures to address mosquito and insect infestations and other potential health hazards.
The campaign includes inspections of electrical systems, water supply facilities, toilets, furniture, doors and windows. Minor repairs and maintenance will be undertaken wherever necessary, with priority for hazardous electrical connections, broken furniture and other unsafe areas that could pose risks to students. Unusable and obsolete materials will be sorted and disposed of according to prescribed procedures.
The department has stated that expenses for deep cleaning, minor repairs, maintenance and other permitted activities will be met through composite grants provided to schools under the Samagra Shiksha scheme. Schools have been explicitly instructed not to collect compulsory contributions or funds from students for the campaign.
Headmasters and principals will be responsible for overseeing implementation at the school level. The department has also encouraged the participation of school management committees, teachers, parents, former students’ associations, villagers, local representatives and non-governmental organisations. Corporate social responsibility initiatives and local social organisations may participate wherever possible.
The campaign is being linked to broader efforts under the Samagra Shiksha scheme to improve basic school facilities and create a more conducive learning environment. Its immediate milestones are the completion of school assessments and action plans by October 24, followed by campus-level cleaning, inspections and repairs through October 31.
