"No 1 Changemaker": PM Praised In Australia For Cleanliness Campaign

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Australia on Monday where he met scientists, artists, and cultural icons including author Mark Balla, who has built many toilets for school children in India. The author discussed sanitation with the Prime Minister and highlighted the impact of the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.'

“We spoke about something that he and I both have a great passion for, which is sanitation. Mr Modi is the Number 1 changemaker in the sanitation space globally. Absolutely Number 1, there is no who comes close,” said Mark Balla, author of Toilet Warrior.

He added, “I am not a strong political person as such but in terms of his social impact in this very important field no one in the world has come close. The 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan' is the biggest sanitation infrastructure program in human history. Nothing comes close.”

The author said, “Mr Modi's impact socially, to create a social will, political will for this issue in India has been enormous and I think this social impact, it is unquestionable. This is one of the most important things that I have seen happen in India in the 15-20 years that I have been visiting your country”.

PM Narendra Modi is on a visit to Australia from May 22 to May 24 as a guest of the Australian government. This is the third and final leg of his three-nation tour, which started in Japan where PM Modi attended the G7 summit.

Since arriving in Sydney, PM Modi has been holding talks with various people including CEOs and industrialists, artists, celebrities, professors, and singers. PM Modi will also be meeting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tomorrow. 

Before this, PM Modi visited Papua New Guinea and met his counterpart James Marape. The leaders co-hosted the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit to foster regional cooperation.