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Bihar's month long march to promote sanitation29 January 2009
To promote health through good hygiene practices the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) of the Government of Bihar, WaterAid and UNICEF took up a month long Gram Gaurav Yatra to promote sanitation in Bihar. A Gram Gaurav Yatra is a 'solidarity march' where people march peacefully, gathering support as they go, not stopping until action is taken by those in power. The Bihar march, opened on 28 January by PHED Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey, saw thousands take to the streets to call for the restoration of dignity and self-esteem for rural Indians.
The march, which will end on 28 February 2009, has seen government secretaries and officers travel throughout the state spreading the message of good hygiene. WaterAid India has played a key role in this initiative by developing awareness raising materials to be handed out through out the campaign. A new scheme 'Jal Mani', aimed at providing clean water to schools, was also launched for the march. His Excellency the Governor of Bihar will inaugurate the second phase of the Gram Gaurav Yatra on 1 February and the Hon'ble Union Minister for Rural Development, Shri Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, will join the march on 11 February at Vaishali. On 29 January a group of volunteers including a government minister, masons and hygiene educators demonstrated the construction of toilets to communities. Mr. Anand Shekhar, a Regional Manager at WaterAid India, stated that the event is a giant leap towards the distant dream of making Bihar an open defecation free region in its mobilisation of communities to collective action. In the mediaGram Gaurav Yatra - India Water Portal Bihar Gram Gaurav Yatra - Times foundation India, Bihar: Gram Gaurav Yatra launched to Promote Sanitation - WASH news Asia & Pacific and Sanitation Updates
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