Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Sasaram: Rohtas district administration has launched a drive to tell the people not to defecate in the open. The administration is requesting the people to build at least one lavatory at their house. The move started from Sanjhauli block in of Rohtas district.
Earlier, the district administration had asked the people not to defecate in the open otherwise they would be punished and even an awareness programme was also launched in this regard but with little impact. So this time, the district administration linked it with the self- respect of girls and women and this has started yielding desired result. Girls and women are coming forward and taking oath to build lavatory at their houses and not to defecate in the open.
Rohtas DM Animesh Kumar Parashar said that ‘bahan-beti samman samaroh’ would be organized every Wednesday at Sanjhauli block and they would lay foundation stones for lavatory that very day. Woman and even the males would be administered oath not to marry their girls in the house without lavatory. He said those who were interested in going to defecate in the open, are now advocating building of lavatory in houses. The DM said no one including males would go to defecate in the open from August 1 under Sanjhauli block.
Phul Kumari of Baharakhana of Udaypur panchayat mortgaged her mangalsurtra for building a lavatory at her house and Panch Ram Rati Kuer of Amethi village had to yield to the dictates of her neighbours for the same. Besides a number of women, girls, males of Sanjhauli block have associated themselves with ‘Swachchhta Abhiyaan’.
District Public Relation Officer, Rohtas, Dharam Veer Singh, said that a team comprising locals, people’s representatives, officials of the district and Jeevika activists in every village will motivate the people to build lavatory at every house.