MUMBAI: Superstar Salman Khan has accepted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s offer to become the brand ambassador for its Open Defecation Free (ODF) drive.
As a brand ambassador of the civic body’s drive, the 50-year-old actor will extend support to BMC in keeping the megapolis clean, in tune with the Centre’s Swachh Bharat campaign.
Salman today met municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta and accepted BMC’s proposal in this regard.
He has also decided to donate five state-of-the art mobile toilets for the campaign.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mehta thanked the actor for discharging his duties towards the society.
“Our administration is making every step to keep the city clean and the actor’s active contributions in our efforts would definitely give a fillip in our efforts,” Mehta said.
“Having a large fan following and being a popular actor, Salman’s support in terms of offering five mobile toilets across city would help us reducing the cases of open defecation,” he said.
Salman said he was happy to be a part of the civic body’s campaign through his Being Human foundation and would try to sensitise and educate people of Mumbai about the menace of open defecation.
“In a mega-city like Mumbai, this looks really awkward to find people defecating in open. I will try my best to tell them to do away with this practise,” he said.
A senior BMC official said in the coming days the civic body will be shooting some audio-video presentations which would be aired through different media to educate people about the menace of open defecation.
According to an estimate of the civic body, there were over 117 major open defecation spots in city, mainly located across the plots owned by government departments and agencies, which have been reduced to 21 in the last two years following its extensive drive against the menace.
“Currently, major open deification spots are in Colaba, Bhandup, Chembur, Malad, Kurla and Andheri,” the officer said, adding BMC has a plan in place to eradicate “this social evil” by building toilets.
Seeing Salman’s vast fan following, BMC had approached him last month to be associated with its drive.
Earlier, BMC had declared 12 out of Mumbai’s 24 wards ODF and chalked out an action plan for other wards, which it aims to make ODF by the year-end.
The areas which are now ODF include Dongri, Pydhonie, Chira Bazar, Bhendi Bazar and parts of Marine Drive. (AGENCIES)
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