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Sauchayala: A Step Towards A Better Environment
Gujarat officials introduce hygiene drive in Narmada district; roll calls to be answered in terms of availability of household washrooms.
Health and education go hand in hand in the progress of an individual. Without a healthy body, the sharp mind false prey to lethargy which in turn, degrades the ability to utilize the full potential of the mind. And in places where hygiene is a luxury, steps should be taken to ensure that the children as well as the adults are protected from diseases and other such disorders.
With the nationwide Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan in full swing, health conditions of many places have improved exponentially. Awareness raised by this program has facilitated proper waste disposal systems, regular sweeps and the introduction of a general code of conduct to keep the environment clean. However, yet in some place the issue of the lack of hygiene plagues the citizens causing unnecessary consequences.
For the very purpose of solving this problem, Gujarat officials have introduced the Open Defecation Free drive to spread awareness regarding the harmful effects of defecating in public. Under this establishment, government schools in the Narmada district have adopted a new system of roll calls which involve the answers, “sauchayalachhe” or “sauchayalanathi” or “sauchalaya bane chhe” which depicts that a student has a bathroom in his house, a student doesn’t have a bathroom in his house and that a bathroom is being installed in his house respectively.
This helps in gaining knowledge of how the each and every household is lacking in the most basic facilities of a health, a private bathroom. Furthermore, upon gaining knowledge about a student not a having a bathroom in his/her house, a rally or protest is to be organized by the teachers and students aiming to persuade the student’s parents to have a bathroom constructed. For this purpose, the Government has also granted an amount of Rs. 12,000, however, there is still some reluctance shown by parents.
A circular has been spread throughout the district in 659 primary schools, 58 secondary and 16 higher secondary schools, and will remain in force for a month. Along with the prime objective of this scheme, some issues regarding the consequence of public defecation are also highlighted, including, the increase rape cases as the woman are expected to attend nature’s call out in the open after dark.
Not only is this initiative a big step towards improving the health conditions of not only Gujarat but the entire country, but the right to a proper environment to live in is also the birth right of every citizen.
Image Courtesy: wsj.com