As part of the ongoing nation-wide Clean India Campaign, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Govt. of India organised cleanliness drive at the garden of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Bandra in Mumbai today.
Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Smt. Usha Sharma and volunteers from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), National Service Scheme (NSS) and volunteers from around 15 colleges in Mumbai participated in the cleanliness drive that began at around 9 AM today. A total of 250 Volunteers including those from CRPF, NSS and NYKS, public representatives, took part in the drive.
Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Smt. Usha Sharma administered the Swachhta Pledge and marked the beginning of the cleanliness drive.
“We have set an ambitious target of collecting 75 lakh kg of plastics during this Clean India drive from 01 to 31st October 2021. I am happy to state that we have already collected and disposed 60 lakh kg of plastics until yesterday (18 October),” the Secretary informed the media. “Our main objective is to make the program as a People’s Movement through Jan Bhagidari,” she added.
Appreciating the efforts of volunteers and their spirit to participate in the drive even on a holiday, Smt. Sharma said, “No campaign can be successful unless it becomes a people’s movement and I can see it happening in Mumbai.” She also mentioned that the cleanliness drive is not just about cleaning but also sensitizing our public to keep the environment clean.
Speaking about simple solutions to curb the use of plastic, OSD, Swachh Bharat Mission, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Shri Subhash Dalvi suggested one should make it a practice to carry a reusable cloth bag so that our dependence on single-use plastic bags stops. He also stressed about the need for public participation in keeping the city and the society clean. “There are around 30,000 sanitation workers of BMC who work day and night to keep the city clean. If the people of Mumbai also actively support in maintaining cleanliness then we can make Mumbai a heaven,” Shri Dalvi said.
NYKS have been organising nation-wide activities for waste disposal and cleanliness, especially processing of Single Use Plastic waste, during October 1 – 31, 2021. This is a part of month-long nation-wide Clean India campaign launched by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on 1st October, for collecting and removing garbage, mainly plastics. A similar drive was conducted at the Gateway of India yesterday where more than 50 volunteers participated. The drive has been taken up to mark Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav on the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.
Swacchta Abhiyan was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during 2014 and since then, remarkable headway has been made in this regard. The Clean India Programme is continuation of initiative spearheaded by the Prime Minister with renewed focus and commitment. With the collective efforts of youth and fellow citizens and support from all stakeholders, better living conditions can be created for citizens. Notably, 30 Lakh Kilogram waste had been collected across nation through Clean India Drives in the first 10 days of the campaign.
