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“India is a cleanliness deficit, Godliness surplus country,” said Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh, referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s words “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”
However, the Government’s drive to make India an ‘open defecation free’ nation within a decade has received support from Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, who has joined the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan as the Sanitation Ambassador.
On Friday, Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh launched the Nirmal Bharat Yatra, which will go through five States starting October 3, to spread awareness about sanitation.
During the launch, a visibly excited Balan said, “We are so far removed from the realities of the rural environment, that when I read the statistics about sanitation I did not want to lose the opportunity to be a part of this movement.”
At the event, three short 30-seconds ad films featuring Balan, which would also be launched on October 3, were showcased. Talking about the ad films, Balan said, “The campaigns are very simplistic but reflective of the realities.”
Ramesh Studies conducted by World Health Organisation and UNICEF have found that with 626 million people defecating in the open, India has largest population without access to toilets.
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