Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is here for an informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, was on a cleaning spree on Saturday morning at the Mamallapuram beach. In a video released by the Prime Minister on Twitter, the leader can be seen picking up plastic litter, water bottles and other waste from the beach during his morning walk.
The PM also said that the "plogging" at Mamallapuram beach lasted for 30 minutes after which he handed over the collected material to Jeyaraj, who is part of the hotel staff. He also urged people to ensure that public places are kept clean.
"Plogging at a beach in Mamallapuram this morning. It lasted for over 30 minutes. Also handed over my 'collection' to Jeyaraj, who is a part of the hotel staff. Let us ensure our public places are clean and tidy! Let us also ensure we remain fit and healthy," he tweeted along with the video.
Plogging refers to picking up trash such as used plastic while jogging or running.
The Prime Minister followed that tweet with another with pictures from his walk and exercise routine in Mamallapuram beach.
"Refreshing walk and exercises in Mamallapuram, along the scenic coast," he tweeted.
PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held free-wheeling discussions over a range of issues. The leaders met at Mamallapuram on Friday and held the second round of talks at Taj Fishermen's Cove in Kovalam on Saturday. The Chinese leader is scheduled to visit Nepal after he departs from India on October 12.
During his speech on Independence Day this year, Modi had announced a campaign to make the country free of single-use plastic.The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan for a clean India, launched in 2014, has been his pet programme.
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