New Delhi:
Visiting 22 puja sites in four hours can be a tall order for even the most ardent and enthusiastic pandal jumper. Now imagine someone doing the same thing at the age of 65. We are talking about Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways. Speaking at the NDTV-Dettol Banega Swasth India 12 hour telethon – ‘Lakshya – Sampoorn Swasthya Ka’ – the Union Minister emphasized the importance of individual health. He shared details of his personal health journey and also talked about the importance of waste management.
“From 8 pm to 12 midnight, I visited 22 puja sites yesterday. Before, I used to feel exhausted, but last night there was no fatigue or exhaustion,” said Mr. Gadkari, adding that his daily regimen of Pranayam and exercise have made that possible.
Detailing her fitness journey, she added: “I contracted Covid twice. During that phase, my doctor told me to do some exercise and since then, I have been doing an hour of Pranayama, followed by exercise, every day. This It’s made such a difference. It helped boost my immunity and boost my energy level.”
He said that exercise has brought about a positive change in his life and advised others to get some exercise every day. “My doctor had suggested certain exercises to me. Once I started doing them, others who knew me also started following them and it helped them too. Videos of these exercises are easily available on YouTube,” she said.
“Small changes in life can sometimes go a long way in making a big difference. Your first priority should always be your health. Your second priority should be managing your wealth honestly. That’s my advice to my children and all my friends” . the minister added.
In response to a query from actor Amitabh Bachhan, brand ambassador of the NDTV-Dettol Banega Swasth India initiative, on how he managed to reduce his weight, Mr. Gadkari highlighted the importance of organic farming and eating organic vegetables. “From 135kg, I have now reduced to 90kg,” he said, adding that before, even a 40-minute speech would make him feel exhausted and sweat profusely. “Now, even if I talk for three hours nonstop, I don’t feel any exhaustion,” he said.
One area he said he still needed to work on was making sure he finished his dinner by seven or eight. “I still go out to work quite often at night and that doesn’t allow me to have dinner on time. So that’s one area I still need to catch up on,” Gadkari said. However, she said that she always made sure to eat breakfast and lunch on time and that in turn helped rule out the need for any medication.
Asked by NDTV’s Prannoy Roy about the importance of ensuring zero waste, something Mr. Gadkari’s ministry has been doing very successfully in recent years, the Union Minister highlighted the importance of green hydrogen, solar energy and waste segregation. . He said: “A vehicle can travel more than 450 kilometers on just one kilo of green hydrogen. Since gasoline, diesel and other fossil fuels contribute 40 percent to the overall air pollution in the country, it is absolutely important to find a greener and cleaner energy”. alternatives.”
He told Mr. Roy, “Through you, I would like to pass this message on to all who are interested in finding more ways to turn waste into wealth.”
He invited both Mr. Roy and Mr. Bachhan to come and take a look at a hydrogen powered car that he has in Delhi.
When NDTV’s Sanket Upadhyay asked the minister about the need to make the six-airbag rule mandatory in passenger cars in India, Mr. Gadkari, while praising NDTV’s initiative to raise health awareness, said that there should also be a similar drive to promote road safety. . “While India ranks highest in the world in terms of road fatalities, sixty percent of the people killed are in the 18-34 age group. This is extremely painful and unfortunate,” Gadkari said.
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