Cleanliness Drives, Separate Girls Toilets. Haryana’s New Swachh Mantra

Chandigarh: In a bid to encourage greater community participation in Haryana’s cleanliness drive, the second Saturday of every month will be observed as ‘Samudayik Swachhta Diwas’, the state government said today.

It was decided to voluntarily devote an hour on that day for cleanliness in all government offices, educational institutions and other public places.

The active participation of school students would also be ensured under this cleanliness drive, an official said.

The government took the decision in a meeting of the governing body of the Haryana State Swachh Bharat Mission Society which was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The Chief Minister directed the officers to make separate toilets for girls in all schools, especially in rural areas.

Watch: Melinda Gates: Toilets Keep Girls in School

Additionally, it was announced that the school Education Department has made a comprehensive plan to construct toilets for girls in all schools depending upon the number of girl enrolled.The schools have also been told to submit certificate that all the toilets are functional.

From September 30 last year, about 3,000 new toilets have been built in Anganwadis in Haryana till date. Efforts are being made to provide toilet facilities in all Anganwadis in the state.

Eight districts — Panchkula, Sirsa, Panipat, Gurugram, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra — have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). Four more districts of Bhiwani, Hisar, Jhajjar and Rewari are likely to achieve ODF status by the end of this month.

Read More: Haryana Aims Open Defecation Free By December 2017