10 years of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: PM Modi joins cleanliness drive on Gandhi Jayanti 2024
PM Narendra Modi attended a cleanliness drive along with some school students to mark the 10th anniversary of Swachhata Bharat campaign.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid respects to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary and participated in a cleanliness drive with school students as part of Swachhata Abhiyan campaign. Earlier in the day PM Modi also visited Raj Ghat and paid floral respects to the father of the nation.
“Today, on Gandhi Jayanti, I took part in Swachhata related activities with my young friends. I urge you all to also take part in some or the other such activity during the day and at the same time, keep strengthening the Swachh Bharat Mission," PM Modi wrote in a post on X.
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Earlier he paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. “On behalf of all countrymen, salutations to Pujya Bapu on his birth anniversary. His life and ideals based on truth, harmony and equality will always remain an inspiration for the countrymen,” said PM Modi.
10 years of Swachh Bharat
Every year, October 2 is celebrated as Swachh Bharat Divas. The Swachhata Abhiyan campaign marks ten years of Swachh Bharat mission launched by Government of India in 2014.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil claimed that “no child” in India dies because of infections related to open defecation after the Centre built over 11 crore toilets since 2014 under the mission.
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Patil claimed that over ₹32,000 crore was allocated for the mission during the first five years and over 60 crore Indians stopped open defecation due to use of toilets.
On August 15, 2014, Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech called for cleanliness to become a national priority and urged citizens to join hands with the government. This led to the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2nd October 2014, which embraced a 'whole-of-government' approach to make sanitation the responsibility of all.
(With PTI inputs)