Thursday, 03 October 2024
Thursday, 03 October 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the Swachh Bharat Mission as the largest and most successful people's movement of the 21st century, emphasising its impact on public health and prosperity.
He participated in a cleanliness drive at a school on Gandhi Jayanti. Speaking at an event to mark 10 years of the mission, Modi said that mass participation had transformed the campaign into a new path to prosperity for India.
"You all made the Swachh Bharat Mission a success," PM Modi said while noting over 28 crore people took part in more than 27 lakh events organised in just 15 days during the 'Sewa Pakhwada'.
The BJP's 'Sewa Pakhwara' (fortnight of service) started on September 17 and concludes with a cleanliness campaign on Gandhi Jayanti today.
He said chief ministers, ministers, and other representatives played key roles in this national effort and underlined that "continuous efforts can only lead to a clean India." During the event, the Prime Minister inaugurated projects worth around Rs 10,000 crore under the Swachh Bharat and AMRUT 2.0 missions, which include water and sewage treatment plants across several states.
Modi also criticised previous governments for neglecting basic sanitation.
"They never considered dirt and lack of toilets as national issues. It was like they made dirt a part of their lives," he said.
"The first job of a Prime Minister is to make the lives of the common man easy. I talked about toilets and sanitary pads, and today, we see the results," he said.
PM Modi highlighted that more than 60 per cent of the population was forced to defecate in the open a decade ago, which he called as an insult to Dalits, backward classes, and tribal communities, and a major source of inconvenience for women. Modi also cited studies and reports that underline the positive outcomes of the mission.
An international study has shown that the Swachh Bharat Mission is saving the lives of 60,000 to 70,000 children annually, while a UNICEF report indicates that over 90 per cent of women feel safer due to construction of household toilets.
Modi also noted a shift in attitudes toward sanitation workers, stating that the Swachh Bharat Mission has brought them respect and pride.
"Cleanliness is not just a one-day task but a lifelong value," he said, urging citizens to pass on the value of cleanliness from generation to generation and treat their surroundings with the same care as places of worship.
Union minister and BJP president J.P. Nadda on Wednesday said the call for cleanliness given by Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi has been turned into a "mass movement" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last one decade.
Nadda along with Delhi unit leaders, including party's state president Virendra Sachdeva and MP Bansuri Swaraj participated in a 'Swachhata Abhiyan' at Lodhi Colony in the national capital.
"Modi after he became the Prime Minister adopted cleanliness and it became a mass movement. We know the call for cleanliness was given by father of the country Mahatma Gandhi but Prime Minister Modi has changed it into a mass movement," he said.
This mass movement to create awareness among the people to maintain personal hygiene and avoid littering as well as encourage the society towards cleanliness has been continuing for the last 10 years under Modi's leadership, Nadda added.
Asserting the BJP is actively involved in speeding up this movement in future, he said cleanliness is not a one day matter and it ought to be maintained every day throughout the year.
Nadda called upon the people of the country and the party workers to join the campaign whenever possible.
The BJP observes 'Sewa Pakhwara' every year, engaging people in the cleanliness campaign on Gandhi Jayanti, he said.
Global leaders, like Bill Gates and Ratan Tata also praised PM Modi’s leadership in the Swachh Bharat Mission, recognising its transformative impact on sanitation and public health in India.
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and philanthropist, expressed his admiration, stating, "The impact of the Swachh Bharat Mission on sanitation health has been amazing." His acknowledgment reflects the mission's profound effect on hygiene practices and health outcomes in India. (My Gov India X)
Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Trusts, also extended his congratulations, tweeting, "I congratulate the PM on this occasion marking the 10 Years of Swachh Bharat."
