Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde NEW DELHI: Chief minister Eknath Shinde criticised opposition parties for their past allegations against the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan during a beach cleanup event at Juhu Beach on Saturday. Speaking on International Coastal Cleanliness Day , Shinde said, "When PM started 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan', the opposition made a lot of allegations. But now we see the results of the campaign.
We need such campaigns to eliminate the threats related to global warming, climate change, etc." Shinde emphasised the importance of maintaining Maharashtra's 720 km coastline, stating, "It is our duty to keep it clean." Union minister for environment, forest and climate change, Bhupender Yadav, led the cleanup event, accompanied by Maharashtra governor C.
P. Radhakrishnan, CM Eknath Shinde , and municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani of the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation. International Coastal Cleanliness Day is observed annually on the third Saturday of September.
This year's cleanup campaign, organized with the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Maharashtra state government, aimed to cover over 100 beaches across India's coastal states and union territories. Shinde highlighted Maharashtra's ban on single-use plastic and the environmental challenges caused by plastic waste. He announced a major tree-planting initiative called "Ek Ped Maa," stating that 1.
5 lakh trees have already been planted in Mumbai, with the Mumbai Corporation contributing 40,000 trees. " Tree plantation is being done on a large scale through all the corporations. And this is definitely important for society," he said.
Urging everyone to participate in tree planting and pollution-free initiatives, Shinde remarked, "Cleanliness is everything." He congratulated participants and thanked dignitaries for their involvement in the campaign. Shinde also mentioned that the deep clean drive in Mumbai will resume after the rains.
Reflecting on the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Shinde said, "When we take the name of cleanliness in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the name of Prime Minister Modi comes to the fore." He concluded with a call for collective action to maintain cleanliness of beaches and public spaces, saying, "We all will make such efforts together. Jai Hind, Jai Maharaj.
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