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Environment ministry celebrates ‘Swacchhta Pakhwada’
The fortnight organised by the ministry focussed on involving children in cleanliness drives and better waste management.
On Thursday the environment ministry marked the close of their cleanliness fortnight called ‘Swacchhta Pakhwada’ that was launched on June 1.
To accelerate the move towards total sanitation and cleanliness by October 2, 2019, the goal set under the Swacchh Bharat Mission, Swacchhta Pakhwadas are being organised by union ministries every year.
This year the environment ministry organised its third such drive to fall in line with World Environment Day on June 5. At the function held at the Delhi Zoo to mark the close of the fortnight environment minister, Harsh Vardhan reminisced about the time his parents brought him to the zoo and also the time that he brought his kids to the zoo.
“Protection of environment, forests, nature and rivers has been taught to us by our ancestors. The inherent richness and strength of our culture is our legacy. The day we renew the pledge to protect the environment, we will be able to regain the old glory,” he said.
This year some of the focus areas were plastic-free protected areas including tiger reserves and better management of waste. A deadline of March 2017 has been set for Tiger reserves to become plastic free.
Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s most recent Mann ki Baat address in May Amita Prasad, additional secretary in the environment ministry, where Modi praised the efforts of citizens to clean up the Versova beach in Mumbai she said that five beaches would be taken up for a cleanliness drive.
On the occasion, the minister also visited the newest resident of the Delhi Zoo a baby Hippopotamus born on May 27. The question of leaving behind a legacy of a clean and green country to the future generations seemed to weigh heavily on the mind of the minister.
“If we do not act now our future generations who come here after 20 years they will not remember us with respect,” he said.
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