'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has become people's movement'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' has become a people's movement in the country, which is a "big achievement" of the Modi government.

Addressing an event in Delhi Cantonment area here, Rajnath said children have become the ambassadors of 'Swachhta' (cleanliness).

He also flagged off a special plogging awareness drive and said people have understood the downside of using plastic. Later, he also participated in the drive.

The defence minister said people's participation has continuously been increasing in the 'Swachhta Abhiyan'.

"Mahatma Gandhi had launched a campaign for the independence of the country, which we know as 'Satyagraha' movement. Now Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a campaign of 'Swachhta', which is known as 'Swachagarh' and it's success is being seen across the country," Singh said.

Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, who was also present at the event, appealed to people not to use plastic in their daily routine.

According to the defence ministry, more than 3,000 people, including school children participated in the plogging and collected sizeable single use plastic waste.

Under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, 10.60 crore toilets have been constructed in the country and now, it is the turn to reduce the usage of single use plastic, the defence minister said.

"Let us create awareness against the use of single-use plastic," he appealed.

The ministry said that it organised a massive plogging programme at more than 400 locations throughout the country on Saturday.

All the three services, Indian Coast Guard, Defence Public Sector Undertakings, Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Cantonment boards, National Cadet Corps (NCC), Border Road Organisation (BRO) and various other defence establishments at different locations organised similar such events throughout the country, it stated in a statement.

The aim of this massive exercise is to raise awareness in the society to collect plastic waste and make the surroundings clean, the statement said.

The slogan for the event was ‘Plastic Se Raksha – Swachhata Hi Suraksha’.