Indore Bags Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2023 Award For Cleanest Air

Bhopal: Indore has secured the first position in the country in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Award, 2023, for having the cleanest air in the country and received the prize of Rs 1.5 crore for the same in the category of population of over ten lakh people. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav presented the award and the prize money at a program held for the same in the state capital Bhopal on Thursday (September 8).

Speaking on the occasion CM Chouhan said,

I am happy to say that the efforts we have made for clean air have yielded better results. In the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2023, Indore got first rank, Bhopal 5th, Jabalpur 13th and Gwalior 41st in the category of population of over ten lakh people.

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Sagar ranks 10th among cities with a population of 3 to 10 lakhs, and Dewas ranks 6th among cities with a population of less than 3 lakhs, he added.

CM Chouhan said,

Love for nature and the environment is deeply rooted in Indian values. Indian culture cautions that nature should not be exploited but conserved. We should use natural resources and replenish them at the same time. The spirit of goodwill towards all living beings and the welfare of the world are the values inherent in India’s thinking process. The concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” reflects this idea. This is an Indian value, and as part of Mission Life. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given this mantra to the entire world.

CM Chouhan said that two and a half years ago, he took a pledge to plant a sapling every day. Today people are joining this initiative. It has become a campaign.

The chief minister said,

The efforts made to keep the air clean are aimed at ensuring the safety of future generations. All states will continue to work towards the welfare of humanity while competing for environmental conservation. It is essential to adopt an environment-friendly lifestyle. Due to the adverse effects of environmental degradation, even rainfall is irregular. We need to understand these signs and contribute to improving the situation.

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Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav said,

PM Modi reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring clean air. He announced his vision to improve air quality in over 100 cities through a comprehensive approach. Following this, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change launched the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) as a national strategy, reorienting activities to reduce air pollution at the city and regional levels.

As many as 131 cities have been identified. Coordination, cooperation, partnership, and continuous efforts of all stakeholders are helping achieve the objectives of the National Clean Air Program, he added.

On the occasion, Union Minister Yadav also highlighted the notification of solid waste, plastic waste, e-waste, biomedical waste, battery waste, construction and demolition waste, hazardous waste management rules that cover waste management.

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.