PM Modi urges citizens to join 'Swachhata Hi Seva' movement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday exhorted the citizens of the country to be a part of the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' movement which is beginning on September 15 and strengthen the efforts to create a clean India.

In a video message, the Prime Minister said, "Swachhata Hi Seva movement will be held from September 15 - October 2. Let us join this movement on September 15 at 9:30 am in large numbers. I invite everyone including children, youth, elderly, women, government workers and famous personalities to be a part of it and motivate others to join."

He added that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Centre's cleanliness drive was launched four years ago as a mass movement, in an effort to fulfill Mahatma Gandhi's dream of clean India.

Urging the citizens to become a messenger of cleanliness, the Prime Minister said, "125 crore Indians together are working tirelessly to fulfill Bapu's dream of a clean and healthy India. In the last four years, 850 crore toilets have been built and now 90 per cent of Indians have access to toilets now."

He further said that over 4.5 lakh villages, 430 districts, 2,800 cities and towns and 19 states in India have been declared open defecation free.

"Under Swacchta Hi Seva, this will be our chance to give a fitting tribute to Bapu on his 150th birth celebrations. From youth to old, Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Kutch to Kohima, we all should contribute to this movement. Let us dedicate this movement to our Bapu, who dreamt of a clean India, and we can strive to fulfill his vision of a clean, healthy and prosperous India," he added.

Launched in 2014, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan aims at making a clean and open defecation free India by October 2, 2019.