Success of 75-day long beach clean-up vindicates 'whole of gov' approach: Jitendra Singh

New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI): Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said that the success of the 75-day long Beach Cleaning drive vindicates the "whole of Government" approach.
According to the Ministry of Earth Science, chairing a review meeting on the recently concluded "Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar" campaign from July 5 to September 17 which is observed as "International Coastal Clean Up Day'', Singh acknowledged the support of over a dozen Union ministries for its grand success.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who in his latest "Mann ki Baat" broadcast, mentioned the "Swachh Sagar - Surakshit Sagar" campaign and the mass public participation in it.
"PM Modi had congratulated all the people who took part in many cleanliness-related programs for the entire two and a half months," he said.
Singh said that India's 7500 km-long coastline will play a vital role in shaping up India's Vision 2047.
"We need to leverage our underutilised oceanic resources in order to advance the economic growth of our nation. A high-level team constituted to organise yearlong activities on coastal clean-up will also coordinate in India's Deep Sea Mission," said Singh.
Referring to the Swachh Bharat Mission launched on October 2, 2014, after the Prime Minister's announcement from the Red Fort during his first Independence Day address on August 15, 2014, the Union Minister said, the whole of government approach has combined with the whole of nation approach to make swachhata a true Jan Andolan by bringing about the largest behavioural change in the world.
"The SBM's emphasis on behavioural change in rural sanitation at the grassroots level also led to rigorous verification and sustainability of the benefits accrued to rural communities," he said.
Singh lauded the role of the Ministry of Earth Sciences in executing such a mammoth task of simultaneous coastal clean-up and sea beach cleaning across all the sea beaches along 7,500 km long coastline of India.
"Governors, Chief Ministers, Union Ministers, MPs, film artists and celebrities participated in beach clean-up activities along with lakhs of volunteers from all walks of life. More than 45 Deputy Commissioners or District Magistrates from 9 Coastal States made special efforts to make the campaign a grand success," the Minister pointed out.
He particularly thanked the cooperation from the Ministries of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Jal Shakti, Health and Family Welfare, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, External Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, organisations and associations like National Service Scheme (NSS), Indian Coast Guard, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Seema Jagran Manch, SFD, Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi (PSG), along with other social organisations and educational institutions in the clean-up campaign.
Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Dr M Ravichandran, Secretary, DARPG, V Srinivas, DG, CSIR, Dr N Kalaiselvi, DG Coast Guard, VS Pathania, Gopal Arya from Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi and representatives of Environment Ministry and senior officials joined the review meeting. (ANI)