‘Mann Ki Baat’: Modi praises Vizag scuba divers who removed 4,000 kg plastic from sea

Subhash Chandran and his team of scuba divers removed plastics for four hours in the morning, for almost three weeks, before starting their day jobs.

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The scuba divers from Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam, who removed 4,000 kg plastic from the sea over three weeks in October, have received a special mention in the 59th edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat, on Sunday.

In an interview to TNM, scuba diving instructor Subhash Chandran recalled how plastic pouches kept getting stuck to his legs when he was swimming at Rushikonda beach in Vizag. He and his group of scuba divers then dived in and started removing plastic from the sea.

Highlighting the importance of plastic-free surroundings, PM Modi said that the scuba divers made a strong contribution towards furthering cleanliness.

Describing how the scuba divers dove into the deep sea and collected the waste, he said, “In just 13 days, they (scuba divers) brought out more than 4,000 kg plastic wastage from sea. This small effort has become a big movement. They now get help of locals, as well as the fishermen.”

Read more about their small effort towards marine conservation:

Vizag divers remove 4,000 kg of plastic from the sea in 3 weeks

He said that if the public took inspiration from these scuba divers and decided to make their nearby areas plastic-free, a ‘plastic-free India’ would set a precedent for the whole world.

“Our forefathers put a lot of emphasis on environment, land, water and forests. They realised the importance of rivers and encouraged a positive mindset towards our rivers,” the PM said during the show.

'Fit India' to Ayodhya verdict

Modi also highlighted the initiative by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to promote fitness among youngsters, and urged schools to follow a 'Fit India week' in December.

He also spoke about the Ayodhya verdict, thanking the people of India for the manner in which “the spirit of unity and brotherhood was furthered" after the judgment was pronounced on November 9. He said the country has “now moved on a new path with new expectations and hope”.

“In my last Mann Ki Baat programme, I had discussed about Allahabad High Court's 2010 judgment and said how people maintained peace and brotherhood then. This time again, 130 crore Indians proved that nothing is above for them than country’s interest when Supreme Court on November 9 announced its verdict on Ayodhya temple issue.”

Everybody welcomed the verdict whole heartedly and accepted it with peace and simplicity, he added.

Terming the decision a milestone for judiciary, he added, “The verdict at one side has led to end the long pending judicial fight, it has also increased faith in the judiciary.”

(With inputs from IANS)

Read:

Ayodhya verdict: Six key takeaways from the 1045-page Supreme Court judgment