In a bid to express commitment towards sanitation, citizens formed a 30 km long human chain in Belsand sub-division in Bihar's Sitamarhi district today and took a pledge to make the sub-division defecation free by October 2.
As part of a display of community commitment, citizens of all 16 panchayats in two blocks of Belsand and Parsauni, participated to form the human chain with 30,000 participants.
School children, Anganwadi workers, health workers, women from Self Help Groups and government officials joined hands to fulfil the commitment.
The programme was part of the Swach Bharat Abhiyan.
Sheohar Lok Sabha member Rama Devi, Sitamarhi District Magistrate Rajesh Roshan, besides officials of UNICEF, which is providing technical assistance in toilet construction in each household, participated in the event.
Rama Devi said in her address that everybody has to contribute for creation of a society sans open defecation. DM Rajesh Roshan said sanitation was another big struggle after freedom movement.
The DM said toilet construction formed part of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's seven resolves, which the state government has adopted as policy of governance.
"Our aim is to make the entire Belsand sub-division open defecation free by October 2," Roshan said.
UNICEF sanitation expert Praveen said it would require around 24,000 toilets constructed in the next 25 days to achieve the target of making Belsand open defecation free.
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