'Will take Swachh Bharat to new heights': PM Modi celebrates 10 years of mission, undertakes cleanliness drive

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the spirit of the nation in making cleanliness a priority of Jan Andolan and said we can make India clean only through continuous efforts. Addressing an event in New Delhi marking 10 years of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the Prime Minister also said such efforts would take the mission to new heights.

Over the last 10 years, millions of Indians have made this mission their personal goal. After this decade long journey, I appreciate the contribution of all our countrymen, cleanliness workers, religious leaders, our players, celebrities, NGOs and media. You all have made the Swachh Bharat Mission a people's revolution, the Prime Minister said during the Swachhata Hi Seva 2024 program at Vigyan Bhawan.

At this important juncture, cleanliness projects worth Rs 10,000 crore have been inaugurated. Under Mission Amrut, water and wastewater treatment plants will be installed in different cities. Be it works related to Namami Gange or the Govardhan plant for producing biogas from waste, all these will take the Swacch Bharat Mission to new heights.

The Swachh Bharat campaign is not just a movement for cleanliness, it is now becoming a new path to prosperity. The construction of separate toilets in schools has reduced the dropout rate of girls. Swachh Bharat is the largest and most successful people's movement with massive participation and public leadership in this century, PM Modi said.

The President, Vice President, Past President and Former Vice President participated and contributed to Swachhata Hi Seva. Chief ministers of all states and public representatives also contributed to the cleanliness drive. During the 15 days of seva pakhwada, over 27 million events took place, in which over 28 million people participated, he added.

A thousand years from now, when studies are conducted on India in the 21st century, Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan will be remembered. In this century, Swachh Bharat is the world's largest and most successful people's resolution, led by the people and joined by the people, he said.

PM MODI PARTICIPATES IN CLEANLINESS

Prime Minister Modi also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary and attended a cleanliness drive with students on Wednesday. In an X message, the Prime Minister urged the nation to participate in such activities in line with the Swachh Bharat Mission, launched in 2014 on Gandhi's birth anniversary.

Today on Gandhi Jayanti, I participated in Swachhata related activities with my young friends, the Prime Minister wrote on X.

I urge you all to also participate in any of these activities during the day and at the same time continue to strengthen the Swachh Bharat Mission, he added, sharing a few photos of himself participating in the campaign of cleanliness.

In another X post, PM Modi shared a video, as Swachh Bharat celebrated its 10th anniversary today.

Today, we celebrate 10 years of Swachh Bharat, a momentous collective effort to make India Swachh and ensure better sanitation. I salute all those who worked to make this movement a success, he wrote.

He was also seen interacting with the students.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister tweeted: On behalf of all his countrymen, I salute Pujya Bapu on his birth anniversary.

His life and ideals based on truth, harmony and equality will always remain a source of inspiration for his countrymen, suggests a rough translation of his message in Hindi.

Prime Minister Modi also paid tribute to India's second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, who was also born on this day.

He dedicated his life to soldiers, farmers and pride of the country, Modi said of Shastri, who raised the slogan of Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan and whose simplicity and honesty earned him wide respect .

The Prime Minister joined President Droupadi Murmu and several other dignitaries to visit the Gandhi and Shastri memorials in the national capital this morning to pay their respects.