Prime Minister narendra Modi on Sunday said the government plans to create an online platform for trading cow dung and agricultural waste under its recently announced waste to wealth scheme.

Urging people to make use of GOBAR-DHAN (Galvanising Organic Bio Agro Resources) scheme announced in the current Union Budget, he said it has the potential to create new jobs linked to waste collection, transportation, and biogas sales.

The Prime Minister said this during his 41st Mann ki Baath broadcast aired nationwide on Sunday where he touched upon a range of subjects, including science and technology, women empowerment, public safety, apart from converting waste into wealth.

He also used the occasion to greet people in advance for Holi, the festival of colours, which falls later this week.

The Prime Minister said India’s cattle population numbering 300 million produce 3 million tonnes of dung every day. This together with agricultural waste and kitchen waste could be used for producing biogas.

The Gobar-Dhan scheme, Modi said, would not only keep the villages clean and sanitised, but also help generate additional income for people.

Public safety

He also stressed upon the importance of preparedness and proactiveness in public safety. Stating that people often take safety warnings at their face value, Modi said most mishaps we encounter in our lives – barring natural calamities – are consequence of one mistake or the other.

“If we stay alert, abide by the prescribed rules and regulations, we shall not only be able to save our own lives but we can prevent catastrophes harming society,” he said.

NDMA workshops

He cited how workshops conducted by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in the recent years helped reduce the mortality from heat waves substantially.

He also urged fire service personnel across the country to keep one day in a week or a month to carry out mock drills in neighbouring schools.

“This will have a dual benefit – the fire brigade will undergo an exercise in readiness and the new generation will get lessons in alertness. And all this at no added cost. In a way it will a natural part of the overall learning curve,” the Prime Minister said.

National Science Day

As the monthly broadcast came just ahead of National Science Day that falls on February 28 – the day Sir C V Raman made his now famous discovery was made – he urged scientific community in the country to explore the ways in which the country and various sections of the country can benefit from emerging frontier of artificial intelligence.

“Through self learning, machines today can enhance their intelligence to a smarter level. This technology can be harnessed to better the lives of the underprivileged, the marginalized and the needy,” Modi observed.

Stating that science and technology is value neutral, he said: "It was entirely up to us how do we want it to perform.''

Women development

From time immemorial India has the tradition of respecting women, he said, adding that the country was moving forward from the path of women development to women-led development.

"Today our woman power has shown inner fortitude and self-confidence, has made herself self-reliant. Not only has she advanced herself but has carried forward the country and society to newer heights,'' Modi said.

The Prime Minister also saluted an initiative of 1.5 million women in Jharkhand who recently built 1,70,000 toilets in just 20 days as part of Swachch Bharat Abhiyan.