Good morning one and all. Respected Principal, teachers and my dear friends, it is my pleasure and privilege to stand before you today. I am honored to have this opportunity to speak to such a distinguished audience.Today on this occasion, I would like to talk about the campaign Clean India.
The Clean India campaign also popularly known as the Swach Bharat Abhiyan was an initiative by the Government of India. It was launched in 2014 with its clear objective of transforming India into a clean and healthy nation. The Prime Minister of India, Shree Narendra Modi introduced this campaign on the occasion of the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The main aim of the campaign is to combat the practice of open defecation, littering and spitting in public places. It also actively works to promote the use of the toilets, improve sanitation and take necessary measures for a proper disposal and sewage system.
In order to achieve success it is vital for the campaign to spread across the nation and instill among the people a sense of urgency to take action and improve the condition of the country.
A major cause of poor sanitation is open defecation, whether it is in open fields or on railway tracks, it is unhygienic and must end. Clean India tries to educate the people on the importance of proper sanitation and make provisions for toilets and improve the overall infrastructure of sanitation in India.
To achieve these objectives the campaign has a set of strategies. They involve creating awareness through drives and public awareness programs. When the campaign first started a lot of schools and institutions, including ours, took a drive to clean the neighbourhood.
As part of this campaign our school prepared placards on cleanliness and hygiene and went to CST. We must have all come across the ads and songs that promoted the campaign. Another strategy is to make policies that facilitate a budget that aids individuals and organisations to construct toilets. The campaign also aims to develop sewage treatment plants and make improvements in the existing ones.
The Clean India campaign has been able to get a change in the minds of the people and thus improved the hygiene and cleanliness of the country. In 2014 around 38% houses had toilets, however after the campaign the number rose to 95%. The campaign has achieved significant success and with the cooperation and continued effort of samaritans it can undoubtedly transform India into a clean and heathy nation.
