The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Thakur today called upon the youth of the country to become a part of Cleanliness Campaign and become instrumental in taking it forward. Shri Anurag Thakur was addressing the culmination of a one month long Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan under AzadiKaAmritMahotsav at Avadh University, Ayodhya today. The Minister said that we could not be part of India’s freedom struggle but we can definitely be part of the campaign to free the country freedom form plastic garbage.

Calling upon the youth of the country to contribute to the cleanliness campaign, he said that in this one-month campaign, a target was set to collect 75 lakh kg of plastic waste from different places in the country, but the goal was achieved much ahead of the target date. So far 108 lakh kg of plastic waste has been collected from three lakh 41 thousand villages across regions. Nearly 6 lakh cleanliness programs were organised under this campaign throughout janbhagidari, the Minister said.

INDIA 🇮🇳 you did it !

✅ Record 108 lakh kg plastic waste collected

✅ 3 lakh 41 thousand villages of India

✅ 30 days period

✅ 6 lakh cleanliness programs organised throughout this janbhagidari #CleanIndia campaign

Well done each and every member of Team @Nyksindia ! https://t.co/osGBiv9yth

— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) October 30, 2021

Cleanliness is next to Godliness. As we celebrate 75 years of our Independence, let us take a pledge to keep our surroundings clean, for a healthy and strong India. #CleanIndia #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav @YASMinistry pic.twitter.com/lbECXyotoy

— PIBYAS (@pibyas) October 30, 2021

The Minister said that this campaign was started from Prayagraj in the state and is ending in Ayodhya. Shri Thakur said that plastic is non-biodegradable , so it is very harmful for animals. People should inculcate the habit of disposing off wrappers and other plastics by throwing them in the dustbins when they are in public places, the Minister advised.  He said that if every citizen of the country takes responsibility for cleanliness around him or her, then there will be no requirement  for cleanliness campaigns. He said that the youth of the country can make a big contribution towards nation building and making the country clean and respectable.

Shri Thakur informed that more than 11 crore toilets have been constructed in the country in two years. He said that the country has become open defecation free under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shri Thakur reiterated that open defecation and drinking dirty water are extremely detrimental to health, whereby 80% of diseases are caused by drinking dirty water.

The Minister informed that the Central Government is working towards providing clean drinking water to all through Ha GharNal and HarGhar Jal campaign He enumerated that work of providing clean water to one crore households has been completed in the last four years. Sh Anurag Thakur added that this cleanliness campaign is of one month but people will have to be continuously made ware of benefits of cleanliness as well as kept motivated to take the swachchtaabhiyaan forward throughout the country.

He said that the Centre has worked expeditiously in the area of covid vaccination, as a result of which more than 100 crore people have been vaccinated against corona in the country. He urged the remaining people to get vaccinated as soon as their turn comes. He said that the Central Government has provided free ration to the people for 15 months during the Corona period, more than 80 crore people of the country took advantage of it. Shri Anurag Thakur appreciated the role played by the youth volunteers during the one month long nation wide cleanliness campaign. He said that the youth have the power to change the face of the country and exhorted them to give a new direction to the nation.

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NB/UD