Bill Gates Applauds Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Says It Has Brought Significant Change.

Poor sanitation costs India over $106 billion annually. That’s almost 10 percent of the country’s GDP and more than triple the country’s defence budget.

The worst part about the whole thing was that NO ONE took cognizance of the problem. No one took initiative on a national scale with a vision to completely eradicate poor sanitation and give Indians a good hygienic environment.

Until Narendra Modi came to power with his ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.’

And while most of his detractors are cynical about the plan, Microsoft founder, Bill Gates is applauding Modi for the initiative. He also calls the initiative “the boldest comments on public health that I have ever heard from an elected official.”

One of Bill Gate’s primary philanthropic focus has been India, where he has invested money in eradicating AIDS and poor sanitation.

 

He has applauded Modi and said that ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’ has indeed worked and shown results. He also appreciated that Modi spoke about sanitation in his first address to the nation as a PM.

“The hard work is paying off. Today more than 30 percent of Indian villages have been declared free of open defecation, up from 8 percent in 2015.”

He also said that Modi was the first leader to openly admit that his country had a problem and shared the solution with the citizens on a public platform.

 

The results are right in front of us, says Gates. As compared to just 42 percent of Indians in 2014, over 63 percent of Indian have access to proper sanitation today.

He also pointed out the the Indian Government was not doing it for a political gimmick. It had a clear plan to eradicate open defecation completely by 2019 – on the eve of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.

“It is a great example for other countries and an inspiration for all of us who believe everyone deserves a chance at a healthy, productive life.”

The ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’ had its share of dedicated detractors. People said it was unrealistic and it will never work. But as the knowledgeable Mr Gates points out to the WHOLE WORLD, it indeed worked.

And if it sustains we might actually see a clean India by 2019.

Mahatma Gandhi would finally be proud.

Source – India Today