Jammu, Oct 5 (IANS): As the iconic Swachh Bharat Abhiyan completed 10 years, people in Jammu have praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led Central government for raising awareness on cleanliness.

The widespread impact of the initiative launched by Prime Minister Modi in 2014 is visible across the country, drawing praise from various sections of the society.

In its initial days when the Prime Minister himself held a broom in his hands to promote cleanliness, critics including the Opposition leaders raised questions on the initiative but soon, people started realising the value of cleanliness and hygiene and started joining it, making the initiative a mass movement. IANS spoke to locals in Jammu to understand the impact of the cleanliness campaign on the ground.

Local resident Chandan Gupta told IANS that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has brought significant change in people's approach towards cleanliness. Earlier, people used to throw garbage outside their homes, resulting in piles of garbage everywhere. But after Prime Minister Modi started this initiative, people joined it and tried to make this campaign a success. Such an initiative cannot succeed unless there is public cooperation. Today, under the Jammu Municipal Corporation, garbage is being collected from every house in the city.

Another local resident Ajay said that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan started by Prime Minister Modi was dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. The campaign became a nationwide movement as people from every corner of the country participated in it. It has also raised awareness among the people about the importance of cleanliness.

Anmol Vaidya said that earlier people used to throw garbage anywhere on the road and animals used to fall sick after consuming that garbage. "Now, I see that the municipal corporation vehicles come door-to-door every morning to collect garbage from the houses. This is a very good campaign of the BJP government. India will be able to develop only if it remains clean," he added.

Another localite Sumit said that a big change has been seen in terms of cleanliness in the last 10 years. The general public is playing a key role in this campaign.

Local residents admitted that the Swachh Bharat Mission has made the city cleaner and garbage-free. They said that not just government institutions, but people are also playing an important role in maintaining cleanliness. Today, dustbins have been placed in front of every shop in the city and vehicles of the civic body visit door-to-door daily to collect garbage.