On May 26 2015, Narendra Modi will complete one year as the 15th Prime Minister of independent India. The iconic leader led the Bharatiya Janata Party to a sweeping victory in the Indian general election of 2014. Strictly speaking, above anything else, India voted for change. Change which could be felt and not just discussed. Change which could be scrutinized and not just debated. Speeches, rallies, conferences, and discussions continued as the Narendra Modi led government promised to steer the Indian economy (and democracy) towards terminus ‘Achhe Din’.
Out of all the steps taken by Narendra Modi, a few stood out as being highly eco-friendly and compelling. We take a look at six crucial eco-friendly steps taken by the Narendra Modi government in India.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
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The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is India’s biggest cleanliness drive ever. The campaign covers as many as 4041 towns and aims at cleaning streets, roads, and infrastructure. It was officially launched on October 2, 2014 at Rajghat, New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi even nominated nine prominent public figures from the country to support and encourage the initiative.
Clean Ganga Mission
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A clean Ganga is deemed as Narendra Modi’s pet project. Three days after swearing in as the 15th Prime Minister of India, Modi resigned from Vadodra constituency and decided to represent Varanasi in order to serve ‘Ganga Maa’. Prime Minister Modi also placed The Ganga Action Plan under the direct supervision of Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti. Modi’s Clean Ganga Plan involves five ministries working in close co-operation to see the dream project through.
National Air Quality Index (NAQI)
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Focusing on bringing down soaring pollution levels in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India’s first national air quality index (NAQI) in April, 2015. The Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, will house the main server of the NAQI which will monitor air quality levels in 10 cities throughout the country. The NAQI will simplify air quality rendition and will help raise awareness about alarming levels of air quality across the country.
Toilets Before Temples
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image of being a Hindutva leader was smashed to smithereens when he gave the mantra: ‘Pehle shauchalaya, phir devalaya’ (first toilets, then temples). Modi also said that while lakhs were spent on building temples, no real effort was put into building toilets. Over 600 million people in India still defecate in the open. The Narendra Modi government is working tirelessly to ensure that affordable sanitation reaches the people who need it. In addition to this, Modi government has also focused on the spread of e-toilets in rural as well as urban India.
Mount Everest Ascent
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Although the Mount Everest cleaning drive is essentially an Indian Army undertaking, authorities have made it clear that they draw inspiration from Narendra Modi’s Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. A team of Indian Army climbers have set off on a mission to bring back at least 4000 kg of non-biodegradable waste from the world’s highest peak. This includes waste materials left behind by climbers over decades.
Water Conservation
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In a bid to raise awareness about water conservation, the Narendra Modi government directed the states of India to ensure that 50% of the work taken up by MNREGA, should be for the improvement of water conservation. This includes construction of check dams and de-silting of water bodies. Narendra Modi himself asked farmers across the country to adopt modern ways of conserving water.
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