AMN / MUMBAI
President, Ram Nath Kovind today said that a healthy and prosperous India will be built only on the foundations of a clean India.
The President was speaking at a function in Mumbai to declare Urban Maharashtra as Open Defecation Free.
He said it is a big step in the direction of New India by 2022, conceived by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Kovind said declaration of ‘ODF’ Urban Maharashtra is particularly relevant for the state as 49 per cent of Maharashtra’s people live in urban areas.
The President added that keeping the environment dirty is a curse to any society as it spreads diseases and decreases the overall productivity thereby decreasing GDP of the nation.
Earlier, the President inaugurated the Shirdi Airport in Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra. He also flagged off the inaugural flight from Shirdi to Mumbai.