Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: New initiatives launched to mark second anniversary

New initiatives to clean public places, rewarding the impact-makers and fresh pledges to meet the 2019 target of a clean-India marked the day as the the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed two years on Sunday on Gandhi Jayanti.

Porbandar, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, and nearly 170 towns in Gujarat were declared Open Defection Free (ODF) on the birth anniversary of the 'Father of the Nation'. Andhra Pradesh became the second state after Gujarat to declare all its municipalities ODF under the 'Swachch Bharat' initiative and earned an incentive of Rs 185.97 crore from the Centre.

"Synchronizing the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan with Gandhiji's birthday is most appropriate as he had always emphasized on adoption of cleanliness in our daily lives," President Pranab Mukherjee said as he flagged-off a march for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan at Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi. From Puducherry, to Rajkot, to his constituency Varanasi, the Prime Minister shared on Twitter pictures and videos of cleanliness drives and awareness campaigns held across the country by locals.

"It's a matter of joy that Porbandar Dist, where Bapu was born has become open defecation-free today. Kudos to all those who made this happen," Modi tweeted. Union Ministers, Chief Ministers and state ministers joined people in the cleanliness drives. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal helped in cleaning the Kamakhya Temple while Union Ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Kiren Rijiju were in action at a school here.
Union Minister Venkaih Naidu flagged off the 'Swachhta Rally' from India Gate.

Celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan joined cleanliness campaigns launched by media and corporate houses with the superstar saying that if Indians pledge to clean 10 yards around them, soon Modi's vision of a Swachh Bharat can turn in to reality. The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry honoured the people whose short films were selected in a competition on the theme of Swachh Bharat. The contest received 4,346 entries after which 20 were shortlisted with the top honour going Katyanan Shivpuri from Maharashtra for the film Murga.

Swachh Bharat Mission has become a social movement in the country and it is for first time in Independent India that people were joining hands for a such a cause, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said after administering cleanliness pledge to school students at a function in New Delhi.

"Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of achieving Swachh Bharat and Swasth Bharat by the end of 2019 and we will definitely succeed in this regard," Rajnath Singh said. The Delhi Metro too launched a six day 'Swachh Metro' campaign. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in association with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Club Mahindra launched a special campaign to make Mumbai litter-free and clean.

'Phenk Mat Mumbai' (Do not litter, Mumbai) was launched by BMC chief Ajoy Mehta, who expressed hope of getting support of people to keep the city neat and clean. Jammu and Kashmir Deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh launched a cleanliness drive in Gandhi Nagar area in Jammu. In Tirupati, Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu formally declared all 110 municipalities, 1,368 village panchayats and two revenue mandals in the state as ODF and said in the next two years, the entire state will become open defecation free. "This is a historic achievement," Venkaiah Naidu said.

Navy personnel in Kochi undertook a two-day clean-up drive in different areas of the city. Waterfront areas were targeted for the drive this year as an ecology preservation initiative. Family members of the Naval personnel also joined the drive. A voluntary mass cleanliness drive was carried out today at the Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala.