Over 28 lakh people participated in the Fit India Plog Run organised by the Sports Ministry in a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary.
The Sports Ministry on Wednesday organised the Fit India Plog Run, a dual initiative of creating a clean and fit India, in a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary.
Over 28 lakh people participated in the Fit India Plog Run which was organised in over 55,000 locations across the country.
The nation-wide event was flagged off by Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here on Wednesday.
"We are merging Fit India and Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. When the entire country works towards a goal only then the impact will be big. It is not just a one-day activity, Fit India is a movement, and we will keep doing fitness and cleanliness related activities throughout the year," Rijiju said.
BJP leader and actor Manoj Tiwari, plogger Ripu Daman, wrestler Bajrang Punia and shooters Abhishek Verma and Sanjeev Rajput were also present during the flag-off.
"This (Plogging) is very interesting. People are running, walking, jogging and also cleaning up the place. There is a dual benefit in this concept," Bajranj said.
More than 1500 ploggers joined in the 2 kilometer run and picked up plastic and other waste from the road, putting them into jute bags and later dumping them in large garbage bins.
Beyond the Capital, the Fit India Plog Run was organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) in 35,312 locations and by National Service Scheme (NSS) in 5819 locations.
Kendriya Vidalaya Sangathan (KVS) organised the Plog Run in 1000 schools and figures shared by KVS on Twitter shows a participation of 5 lakh students, parents and teachers across the country.
All top industry bodies, including FICCI, CII, Phd Chambers, Assocham brought in their corporate members to organize the Plog Run at various locations across the country.
Noida Authority also organised the Fit India Plog Run in 100 locations and saw a total number 17000 participants.
The run was attended by eminent sportspersons like weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and hepthathlete Swapna Burman in various locations
