Dungarpur, a small city in southern Rajasthan, has become the only city in the state to achieve national-level awards in cleanliness this year. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, Dungarpur has earned the ODF, ODF Plus, and ODF Double Plus titles four, three, and three times, respectively, even without a modern sewerage system. Leaving behind many major cities in Rajasthan, Dungarpur has achieved a significant feat in the cleanliness survey of the state.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, referring to this as a proud moment, wrote on his social media handle, “With the spirit of ‘Cleanliness is Service,’ our Dungarpur district has secured the first position in the cleanliness survey among districts with a population of less than one lakh.”
Certainly, there is no denying the pride of the state and city residents in this achievement, but one cannot overlook K.K. Gupta, the former president of the municipal council, who laid the foundation for cleanliness in Dungarpur. Gupta cannot be ignored for the way he demonstrated dedication, determination, and commitment to bring Dungarpur to this position.
During his tenure, sending a photo of any dirty drain would earn the sender a reward. He connected citizens from every category to the cleanliness movement, creating remarkable enthusiasm among the residents.
Gupta has earned numerous national and international awards for cleanliness in Dungarpur and is recognised as the cleanliness brand ambassador and sponsor in the state by both the BJP and Congress. While many cities in Rajasthan are globally famous for tourism, the question remains about how good the cleanliness situation is in those cities. The state capital, Jaipur, and the second-largest city, Jodhpur, are no exceptions to this, but the real question is whether other entities in Rajasthan will learn from the small city of Dungarpur and its protagonist K.K. Gupta or not. In Rajasthan, which is recognised on the world map for tourism, cleanliness holds its own significance.