Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a new initiative called Mission Amrit on Wednesday, marking the next phase of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. This announcement coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat project and aims to enhance water and sewage treatment facilities in several cities, promoting cleaner urban environments.

During his address, Modi expressed gratitude to the citizens for their support, highlighting the success of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. He mentioned that over 2.7 million programs were held through Seva Parikram, with millions participating in just the last 15 days. Modi urged local authorities to extend the mission to every district, Zilla, and Panchayat, emphasizing the importance of cleanliness in streets and lakes. He also called for cleanliness competitions to encourage communities to maintain clean surroundings.

In his speech, Modi praised the public for adopting cloth and paper bags to reduce single-use plastics, thanking them for supporting this initiative without fearing job losses. He pointed out the significant impact of the Swachh Bharat Mission, noting that ten years ago, 60% of the population practiced open defecation. His government has since constructed 12 crore toilets across the country.

Taking a jab at the Congress party, he remarked that many women, Dalits, and the poor previously lived in unhygienic conditions. Modi stated that women often had to wait until night to relieve themselves, regardless of the weather. He mentioned a report indicating that 90% of women feel safer now that they have toilets at home. Modi emphasized that open defecation contributed to infections and diseases, which hindered national development, stating, “The Swachh Bharat Mission was created to address this challenge.”

He also highlighted that constructing toilets in schools has significantly reduced the dropout rate among girls. Modi stressed the importance of continuing the mission, stating that it has created numerous job opportunities in various sectors. "We have 5,000 startups in the cleanliness sector, and many women have found employment as laborers due to increased access to toilets," he said.

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