Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed pride in the growing awareness and proactive efforts of India’s youth in promoting cleanliness and protecting the environment, emphasizing that small, sustained initiatives are making a meaningful impact across the country.
Speaking during his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said, “In Mann Ki Baat, we have consistently raised the issue of cleanliness. I am proud to see that our youth are very conscious about the cleanliness around them.”
Highlighting a unique youth-led initiative from Arunachal Pradesh, he said, “Arunachal is the land where the Sun’s rays reach first in the country. Here, people greet each other with ‘Jai Hind.’ In Itanagar, a group of young people came together to clean areas that needed more attention. These young people made it their mission to clean public spaces in various cities.”
He added that the campaign gradually expanded to other towns, including Naharlagun, Doimukh, Seppa, Palin, and Pasighat, with participants collectively removing over 11 lakh kilograms of garbage.
Citing an example from Assam, PM Modi said collective action can transform neighbourhoods. “In Nagaon district, people are emotionally attached to the old streets. Some residents resolved to clean their streets together. Gradually, more people joined them, forming a team that removed a significant amount of garbage,” he noted.
Referring to Bengaluru, he highlighted the innovative handling of discarded sofas and bulky waste by local professionals, and praised recycling initiatives in cities such as Chennai. “Today, many cities have teams dedicated to recycling landfill waste. Such examples demonstrate the importance of every effort related to cleanliness. We must increase our efforts, individually or collectively, to make our cities better,” he said.
Turning to environmental protection, PM Modi said impactful change does not always require large-scale campaigns. “Many a time, change begins in a very simple way — one person, one area, one step, and even small, sustained efforts can bring about significant change,” he explained.
He cited Benoy Das from Cooch Behar, West Bengal, as an example of individual commitment. “For several years, he has worked to make his district green, planting thousands of trees and often bearing the full cost of planting and caring for them. He has collaborated with local people, students, and municipal bodies, improving greenery along roadsides,” the Prime Minister added.
