PM Narendra Modi said his government has successfully "provided toilets to more than 60 crore people in 60 months". (Photo: Twitter/@BJP4India)

Addressing 'Swachh Bharat Diwas' programme in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday said open defecation-free India is just one step towards Swachh Bharat.

"Today rural India and its villages have declared themselves 'open defecation free'. Open defecation free India is just one step towards the Swachh Bharat. The people who have been deprived of a toilet facility would soon get it," PM Narendra Modi said in presence of over 20,000 village heads at Sabarmati Riverfront.

PM Narendra Modi said his government has successfully "provided toilets to more than 60 crore people in 60 months," adding that the whole world is stunned at this achievement.

"Today, the whole world is appreciating and awarding us. Providing toilets to more than 60 crore people in 60 months, building more than 11 crore toilets, the whole world is stunned by this," PM Narendra Modi said at the mega-event.

PM Narendra Modi said he felt lucky to finally fulfill Mahatma Gandhi's dream.

"I am satisfied that on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, we are witnessing the fulfilment of his dream of 'Swachh Bharat'. I feel lucky that on this occasion when India has successfully stopped open defecation," PM Narendra Modi said.

PM Narendra Modi also said that apart from toilets, water conservation is also important. "The central government will spend Rs 3.5 lakh crore on water conservation," PM Modi said.

PM Narendra Modi, who soon after coming to power for the first time in 2014 announced the Swachh Bharat Mission, cited how Mahatma Gandhi had laid immense stress on cleanliness and wanted the countrymen to pursue it.

Exactly, five year ago, on this day, Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) was launched with the intent to make India open defecation free.