Commitment to Swachhata is a lifelong pledge & not one-time promise: PM Modi on Gandhi Jayanti

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday highlighted the importance of "Swachh Bharat Mission" and said the 'commitment to Swachhata is a lifelong pledge and not a one-time promise."

Addressing the “Swachhata Hi Seva 2024” which is being held at Vigyan Bhawan here, the Prime Minister said, "We must instil this value in future generations, making cleanliness an integral part of every citizen's daily life".

He further added that The Swachh Bharat Mission is a testament to the unwavering commitment of millions of Indians.

Modi participated in the programme to mark the 10 years completion of Swachh Bharat Mission and the 155th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

"Today I am filled with the sense of duty at the same time I am emotional. Today Swachh Bharat mission has completed 10 years. This journey is a symbol of the unbreakable commitment of millions of Indians" he added.

The PM noted that the dropout rate has reduced due to separate toilets for girls in lakhs of schools and quoting UNICEF report which mentioned that due to cleanliness, the village families are saving an average of Rs 50,000 every year.

Modi also said that "Swachh Bharat Mission" is the world's largest and most successful people's movement in this century and added, "Even after 1000 years from now, when 21st century India will be studied, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan will definitely be remembered".

He said the impact of Swachh Bharat Mission on the lives of common people of the country is priceless...adding that It has come to light that Swachh Bharat Mission is saving the lives of 60,000 to 70,000 children every year.

During the event, the PM laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various projects pertaining to AMRUT 2.0, National Mission for Clean Ganga, and Gobardhan Yojana.

"Under Mission AMRUT, water and sewage treatment plants will be built in many cities of the country. Whether it is the work related to Namami Gange or the Gobardhan plant that produces biogas from waste, this work will take the Swachh Bharat Mission to a new height" Modi added.

Earlier, PM Modi participated in Swachhata Abhiyan to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and urged all citizens to keep strengthening the Swachh Bharat Mission.

In a social media post, PM Modi said, "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."

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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. #10YearsOfSwachhBharat pic.twitter.com/FdG96WO9ZZ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 2, 2024 >

The day also assumed significance as the Swachh Bharat Mission completed 10 years, which was launched by Prime Minister Modi in 2014.

The mission was divided into SBM-Gramin for villages and SBM-Urban for cities, executed by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, respectively.

According to the WHO, there were 300,000 fewer diarrhoeal deaths in 2019 compared to 2014, directly attributable to improved sanitation.

The Ministry data showed that families in Open Defecation Free villages saved an average of Rs 50,000 annually on health costs, and with better access to sanitation facilities, 93 percent of women reported feeling safer at home.

In 2022, the government launched Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Urban 2.0 with a target of clearing around 2,400 legacy landfill sites in the country by 2025-26.

The data showed that big cities are yet to clear any land in half of their legacy landfill sites, with only 38% of the total dumped waste being remediated so far.

The SBM dashboard maintained by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs showed that out of the 69 landfill sites in cities with populations over 1 million, land is yet to be cleared at 35 sites.