Statues of Dr. Ambedkar and other national icons cleaned at parks, memorials, and intersections across UP

Lucknow : Under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a large-scale cleanliness campaign was carried out across Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The drive focused on cleaning parks, public places, squares, monuments, and statues of national icons, including that of Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.

The campaign was conducted in all 75 districts of the state, with enthusiastic participation from people across communities. Responding to the CM’s appeal, public representatives, government officials, employees, and citizens actively contributed to the effort.

In Varanasi alone, cleanliness drives were organized in 694 gram panchayats. Under the supervision of the municipal health officer, nearly all 100 wards of the city witnessed thorough sanitation work. Iconic locations such as Kachahari Chauraha, Dhelwaria, Durgakund, and Ramnagar’s Ambedkar Park and statue were among the sites cleaned during the campaign.

Following the instructions of Chandauli District Magistrate Nikhil T. Funde, cleanliness drives were organized at sites with Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar’s statues in all development blocks. Block Development Officers, Assistant Development Officers (Panchayat), and sanitation workers actively took part in the effort.

In Ghazipur, District Magistrate Aryaka Akhoury and Municipal Council President Sarita Agrawal led the drive. Ambedkar Park in Lanka and Dr. Ambedkar’s statue were thoroughly cleaned. The campaign extended to 1,238 gram panchayats in the district, where statues and surrounding areas were cleaned.

In Jaunpur’s Khuthan block, a sanitation drive was conducted in Muhammadpur village. In Aligarh’s Ward 33, workers cleaned the Ambedkar Panchayat Ghar and sprayed lime powder. In Pratapgarh’s Ambedkar Park, the Valmiki Garden and Dr. Ambedkar’s statue were painted and cleaned. Shahjahanpur Municipal Corporation carried out cleaning in Ambedkar Park at Purana Awas Vikas Colony and Ghantaghar.

All four districts of the Prayagraj division observed Swachhata program (cleanliness campaigns) on Sunday. In Prayagraj city, the campaign took place at seven different locations. According to BJP city president Sanjay Kumar Gupta, all 56 BJP councillors of the municipal corporation launched awareness activities and sanitation drives in their respective wards.

In Fatehpur, cleanliness drives were held at 53 locations covering both urban and rural areas, while in Pratapgarh, similar efforts were made at 18 locations. Special events are also scheduled to be organized at all these sites starting April 14.

Similarly, Ayodhya also witnessed a large-scale cleanliness drive as part of the events marking Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary. The campaign covered Ambedkar Parks, Ambedkar Colony, and slum areas within the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation limits. Statues of Dr. Ambedkar across the city were cleaned, and the under-construction Ambedkar Park in Jalwanpura was also tidied up.

Clean-up efforts extended to key city areas including the Ram Mandir vicinity, Hanuman Garhi, and Civil Lines. Municipal Commissioner Santosh Sharma actively participated, personally visiting Bais Singh Gaushala to take part in the campaign. Streets, lanes, and public spaces were cleaned, waste was removed, and awareness was spread about the importance of hygiene.

Special attention was given to Sahabganj Ambedkar Park, the statue near Chudamani Chauraha, and statues located in areas such as Kushth Ashram, Sardar Patel Ward (Deendayal Nagar), and Ambedkar Nagar Ward.

Meanwhile, in Agra Division, all districts carried out intensive cleaning of parks and statues of Dr. Ambedkar and other national icons. A dedicated sanitation drive was conducted at the Ambedkar Park near Bijli Ghar, with park maintenance workers cleaning fountains and repairing lights. Around Dr. Ambedkar Bhavan in Nala Qazi Pada, cleaning and painting were carried out. The route of the upcoming Ambedkar Jayanti procession was cleared of potholes and fitted with adequate lighting.

The cleanliness drive was also carried out at city areas including Deori Road, Nagla Padi, Nagla Budhi, Kalindi Vihar, Balkeshwar, Kamla Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Jeevni Mandi, Lohamandi, Jagdishpura, Prakash Nagar, Jaganpur, Shahganj, Prem Nagar, Mughal Road, Nai Abadi Nagla Fatturi, and Yamuna Bridge.

In rural regions, similar campaigns were run in Dhanauli, Akola, Manikpura Gram Panchayat, Pinahat, Taharpur Gram Panchayat, Saiyan, Artauni, Bichpuri, Narhauli Gram Panchayat, Bah, Santha, Fatehpur Sikri, and Sirauli. Ambedkar Vatika and community buildings in these villages were also cleaned as part of the effort.

In Jhansi, statues of Dr. Ambedkar and other great leaders were cleaned at various locations, including the prominent statue at Kachhari Chauraha. Municipal bodies and panchayats across the division participated under the supervision of officers and public representatives.

In Etah, District Magistrate Prem Ranjan Singh visited the Ambedkar Park on Kachhari Road to inspect the cleanliness arrangements. Participating in the campaign himself, the DM appealed to the public to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti with enthusiasm and dignity. He emphasized the state government’s initiative to mark the celebration from April 14 to April 28 as a 15-day program under the theme “Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Swabhiman” (Our Constitution, Our Pride).

Following the government’s orders, statues of Dr. Ambedkar and other national icons were cleaned not only in urban areas but also in rural regions. Widespread sanitation drives were conducted in Ambedkar parks, and lighting arrangements were made at key statue sites.

In Deoria, a special cleanliness campaign was carried out in the presence of MLA Dr. Shalabh Mani Tripathi, who participated in the clean-up at the Amar Shaheed Ramchandra Vidyarthi memorial site, promoting the message of cleanliness and respect for national heroes.

Bareilly Division, covering Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, and Budaun, also conducted intensive cleaning drives. Statues and parks in all municipal wards were cleaned. In Bareilly alone, 80 wards were covered, while Shahjahanpur cleaned all 70 municipal wards. Commissioner Saumya Agarwal stated that tributes would be paid on Monday with garlands and floral offerings, and educational events would highlight Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy.

In Shravasti, general public and administrative officials in village panchayat Sahaniya participated in the campaign. Similar activities were carried out in Hapur, Aligarh, Amethi, Ambedkar Nagar, Sultanpur, Ghazipur, Agra, Maharajganj, Balrampur, Firozabad, Moradabad, Gonda, Bahraich, Etawah, Barabanki, Sonbhadra, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Muzaffarnagar, and Kannauj.