Amitabh Bachchan asked to be face of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

NEW DELHI: Actor Amitabh Bachchan has received a fresh request from the government after he agreed to feature in any promotional film on national cleanliness mission Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – to be the face and voice of a campaign to promote a specific component of the mission, sale of city compost for fertilizers to help reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.

The urban development ministry on June 20 wrote to Bachchan, thanking him for being “one of the mostproactive ambassadors” of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and saying, “We would be grateful if you would agree to be the face of these promotions for city compost, lending your voice and person for the radio ads, TV commercials and posters.”
Bachchan could not be reached for comment.

The Centre had in January brought about “progressive policy level changes”, making it mandatory for all fertilizer companies to purchase the compost produced from solid waste, the letter said.

It said the government is keen to promote the processing of biodegradable component of solid waste into compost for use as fertilizers in farms, nurseries, parks, private gardens, etc.

“We are hopeful that this initiative will significantly reduce the amount of waste which is currently going to our landfill sites,” the letter said. “However, this initiative, in order to succeed, will also need to be widely publicised – among farmers, among citizens, among nurseries and public gardens – to encourage the sale of city compost for use as fertilisers,” it said.

As per the letter, the government plans to come out with a range of promotional materials (radio ads, TV commercials, posters, jingles) to spread the message of usefulness of city compost. “Once we receive your approval, we will coordinate with your office to operationalise this initiative,” the letter said.

ET was the first to report on June 6 that Bachchan had given his consent for participation in a short promotional film on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.