Navi Mumbai:  Recognized nationwide as a clean and beautiful city, Navi Mumbai strives to instill cleanliness habits in children from an early age. Under the guidance of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde, various initiatives are implemented with students at the centre.

One such innovative initiative, the 'Inter-School Dindi Competition,' is organized by the Sports and Cultural Department. In the preliminary round, 46 municipal schools and 45 private schools participated enthusiastically, with over 4,000 students from a total of 91 schools.

To participate in the competition, schools had to organize a 'Swachhata Dindi' (cleanliness rally) at their regional level and submit photographs with Google location tags to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation's social media handle when filling out the application form. Accordingly, 91 schools, including 46 municipal and 45 private schools, filed their applications and organized cleanliness drives in their respective areas, leading to a wave of cleanliness throughout the regions of these schools.

The preliminary round for these 91 schools took place on August 5th and 6th, 2024, at Vishnudas Bhave Theatre, Vashi, as a color rehearsal without costumes and makeup. The schools presented powerful seven-minute performances on the topic of 'Cleanliness,' focusing on six key points: (1) Waste segregation, (2) Ban on single-use plastic, (3) Mangrove conservation, (4) Water body cleanliness and conservation, (5) Maji Vasundhara activities, and (6) Navi Mumbai city beautification. The performances included Bhajan, Kirtan, Powada, Bharud, Ringan from Wari, specific dances from Wari, and other cultural art forms conveying social messages.

The preliminary round was judged by renowned theatre and serial artist Mr. Kunal Meshram, and 25 selected schools will advance to the final round.

The final round of the Swachhata Dindi Competition will be held at Vishnudas Bhave Theatre, Vashi, with costumes and sets on August 8, 2024. The prize distribution ceremony will take place at 4 PM after the final presentations.

The winning school will receive a prize of Rs. 25,000, the second place will receive Rs. 20,000, and the third place will receive Rs. 15,000, along with medals and certificates. Additionally, there will be two incentive prizes of Rs. 5,000 each, and a special prize for Dindi decorations.

The Sports and Cultural Department continuously organizes various activities to encourage the innate arts and sports qualities of school and college students in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation area. These initiatives aim to promote the overall development of children and youth.

The 'Swachhata Dindi Competition' is a significant and innovative activity for artistic presentation and raising cleanliness awareness, while also preserving folk culture. Everyone is encouraged to attend the final round presentations starting at 11 AM and support the students by attending the prize distribution ceremony.