There has to be continuity in cleanliness campaigns: Amitabh Bachchan

Mega star Amitabh Bachchan, who is campaign ambassador of NDTV-Dettol's Banega Swachh India Cleanathon 2018, has said that there has to be continuity in cleanliness campaigns, then only we will be able to achieve goal of clean India.

Amitabh Bachchan was addressing the media at the fifth edition of NDTV-Dettol's Banega Swachh India Cleanathon 2018 on Tuesday in Mumbai.

NDTV-Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan that was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, with the target to make India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2, 2019, which happens to be the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Talking about the campaign, Bachchan said, "I have been part of cleanliness campaigns under this initiative for last five years, but I think if people are thinking that we will able to bring the change just by seeing me as a face of this campaign then, it is not enough. We just wanted it to be sustained."

I think we have to keep working towards this campaign even before the problem comes. There has to be some kind of continuation as often we just talk about it and we stop there but no one wants to carry it forward."

Bachchan added that there has to be continuity in terms of cleanliness drives if we desire to achieve the goal of clean India.

"We have to admit the fact that until and unless, there is continuity in this campaign, we will not be able to achieve our goal because it is not something that is going to end today or tomorrow. It has to be there every day and every moment in our life then only, we will be able to achieve what we have set out to do," said the 'Pink' actor.

NDTV-Dettol Cleanathon has worked relentlessly for five years to help build toilets in rural areas, conduct clean-up drives and spread awareness about sanitation, health and hygiene across India. Every year the Cleanathon celebrates Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 as Rashtriya Swachhta Diwas.

Citing his own example Bachchan recalled that how his films sets used to be full of dirt when they used to shoot for a film, he said, "Earlier, we never used to see garbage bins on sets and the set used to look filthy as there used to be dirt all around but because of these campaigns that has been running, now there are garbage cans all over the place."

Amitabh Bachchan next will be seen in 'Thugs of Hindostan' along with Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh in lead roles.

It is directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and produced by Yash Raj Films.

'Thugs of Hindostan' is scheduled to release on November 8, 2018.

--IANS

iv/prs