It is not the responsibility of only the Government and the local administration to ensure the desired level of civic sanitation as each and every citizen of the country also needs to do her or his bit towards this. The ICAR Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) additional secretary Chhibalendra Roul said this while speaking at the inaugural function of the Swachchhta Pakhwada being undertaken as per the directions of the ICAR from October 16 to 31 at the Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation IISWC here on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that different leaders tried to transform India to make the villages/cities cleaner and launched several schemes. However, factors like the increasing pressure of population and human activities the atmosphere continues to suffer from pollution.
Stressing on the need for responsibilities towards achieving this also being discharged as desired at the individual level, he said each individual has to be a part of the efforts aimed at making Clean India a reality by 2019.
Referring to the importance of a clean environment, the additional secretary further cited examples of average life expectancies in various nations corresponding with the level of cleanliness.
In India, people have an average life span of 67 years average life whereas the same is 82 years in Japan and about 79 years in western nations. “In India, we have sufficient manpower and wisdom but need will power and change in the general public mind set. It is observed that there is political will power to make the villages, offices, work places, common places, cities and whole country cleaner,” he said, while also urging the gathering to adopt and innovate measures to utilise solid and liquid waste management for pollution free environment.
The IISWC director PK Mishra and other officials also expressed their views on the occasion.