4,500 cities, towns joined 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan' this year: PM Modi

Business Standard

6 days ago

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the nation in his 124th 'Mann Ki Baat' episode, focusing on the importance of 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan' in ensuring cleanliness and waste management.
"Sometimes a task comes across as impossible to some people. They wonder, would this even be possible? But, when the country comes together on one thought, even the impossible becomes possible. 'Swachh Bharat Mission' is the biggest example of this. Soon, this mission will complete 11 years. But, its strength and its need is still the same," an official release quoted PM Modi as saying.
As the Swachh Bharat Mission nears its 11th anniversary, PM Modi stated that more than 4,500 cities and towns across the nation have joined the cleanliness movement this year.
"In these 11 years, 'Swachh Bharat Mission' has become a mass movement. People consider it their duty, and this is real public participation. The Swachh Survey, conducted every year, has lifted this feeling further. More than 150 million people participated in it. This is not an ordinary number. This is the voice of Swachh Bharat," PM Modi said.
Apprising the listeners of efforts made by people in Uttarakhand's Kirtinagar, the PM said that they have set a new example of waste management in the hills.
"When it comes to cleanliness, our cities and towns are working in different ways according to their needs and surroundings. And their impact is not just limited to these cities; the whole country is adopting these methods. The people of Kirtinagar in Uttarakhand are setting a new example of waste management in the hills," PM Modi said in his address.
He said that organic waste management was being done with the help of technology in Karnataka's Mangaluru. The PM also highlighted the efforts of locals in Arunachal Pradesh's Roing in managing waste by creating a park from recycled waste.
"There is a small city called Roing in Arunachal. There was a time when waste management was a significant challenge to the health of the people. The people there took responsibility for it. 'Green Roing Initiative' was started, and then an entire park was created from recycled waste. Similarly, many new examples of water management have been set in Karad and in Vijayawada. The cleanliness at the River Front in Ahmedabad has also caught everyone's attention," PM Modi said.
The PM praised the 'Sakartmak Soch' team working in Bhopal, comprising 200 women, who not only clear but also change mindsets.
"A team in Bhopal is called 'Sakaratmak Soch'. It comprises 200 women. They don't just clean, they also change mindsets. Cleaning parks in the city together, distributing cloth bags, every step of theirs is a message. Owing to such efforts, Bhopal has now come a long way in the Swachh Survey. It is also important to mention the Gomti River team of Lucknow. Every Sunday for the last 10 years, tirelessly, without stopping, the members of this team are engaged in the cleanliness work," PM Modi said.
"The example of Bilha in Chhattisgarh is also great. Here, women received training in waste management, and together, they transformed the city's landscape. The example of Panaji city in Goa is also inspiring. There, waste is divided into 16 categories, and that is also being led by women. Panaji has even received the President's award. Friends, cleanliness is not a one-time, one-day task. Only when we accord priority to cleanliness every day, every moment of the year, will the country remain clean," he added.