‘Gandhi ji Was The Most Deserving Candidate For The ‘Champion of Earth’ Award’: PM Modi

Rajkot: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded ‘Champion of Earth’ by United Nations for his pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance and promoting new areas of cooperation on environmental action. This award is considered as UN’s highest environmental honour and is awarded to outstanding leaders from government, civil society and the private sector whose actions have had positive impact on the environment. This award was shared by French President Emmanuel Macron. On World Environment Day on June 5 this year, PM Modi announced an ambitious plan to do away with single-use plastic items including carry bags, straws and water bottles among others by 2022.

Also Read: Champions Of Earth: PM Modi Awarded For His Commitment To Environment, Including Efforts To Eliminate Single-Use Plastics By 2022

While addressing a gathering after inaugurating a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi’s life and said that Gandhiji was the most deserving candidate for the United Nations ‘Champions of the Earth’ award. He said, “Cleanliness was an important aspect of Gandhi’s life and he used to say, if he had to choose between cleanliness and freedom, he would choose cleanliness first, such was his commitment towards cleanliness”. PM Modi added, “Every Indian should have it in their hearts that a barrister (Gandhiji) gave up everything for the country and freed the country from the shackles of foreign rule”.

The Prime Minister also asserted that sanitation coverage in the country had increased manifold under his four-year-old government. “Sanitation coverage in the country before 2014 was a mere 35 per cent. However, in four years of the NDA government, it has increased to 95 per cent,” he said.

“The United Nations has said 3 lakh children were saved due to the cleanliness movement (of the NDA government). What bigger humanitarian work can there be?” he asked. The Prime Minister said that the most deserving person for this honour was Mahatma Gandhi and also the 125 crore citizens of the country.

Also Read: India Vows To Eliminate Single-Use Plastic By 2022 On World Environment Day

Written with inputs from Press Trust of India.

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.