India, US to co-operate on 'Clean India' Mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts for having a "Clean India" has received a major shot in the arm, with India and the United States both agreeing to work together on this front

A 342-word joint editorial penned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Barack Obama, which has been published in Washington Post reads, "We will discuss ways in which our businesses, scientists and governments can partner, as India works to improve the quality, reliability and availability of basic services, especially for the poorest of citizens. In this, the United States stands ready to assist.

It further states, "An immediate area of concrete support is the "Clean India" campaign, where we will leverage private and civil society innovation, expertise and technology to improve sanitation and hygiene throughout India."

On Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, which falls on October 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Clean India mission will be launched which aims for a cleaner India by 2019, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.

The Prime Minister has been a keen votary of "Clean India", and has made several speeches on this regard. Recently, in his Madison Square address to about 20,000-odd Indian Americans, he had referred to this issue and sought their help.

Before leaving for his maiden trip to the U.S, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also written an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, inviting entrepreneurs to join in his 'Make in India' mission.