Sanitation campaign underway

Sagar Chhetri

Rural Management & Development Department is launching a series of interventions this month as part of the National Sanitation Campaign. The month-long National Sanitation Campaign started on 25 September and will conclude on 31 October.
Addressing a press conference here at Janta Bhawan on 05 October, RMDD Secretary DR Nepal explained the various state-level interventions to be undertaken during the month-long campaign in the State.
The Secretary explained that the main objective of the state-level interventions is to reach out effectively to all sections of the society and involve them in making Sikkim cleaner in terms of sanitation, hygiene and to discourage people from open defecation and littering. The month-long intervention is managed on the grounds by 24hours Inspired at the state level.
Mr Nepal also mentioned that the National Sanitation Campaign has been so far successful in the state and people have been coming forward voluntarily for cleanliness drives and are also disseminating information on sanitation to others.
POINT-COUNTER POINT
A state-level Sanitation and Solid Waste Management debate competition for college students across Sikkim targeting colleges of rural and semi urban districts of Sikkim. The district level competitions for South and West districts will be organized by State Institute of Rural Development and for East and North districts they will be organized by 24hours Inspired.
The district level competition for South District and West District will be conducted at SIRD, Karfectar on 14 October.  For East and North Districts the competition will be held at Himalayan Pharmacy Institute, Rangpo on 16 October. The grand finale is scheduled to be held at Chintan Bhawan on 31 October.
“The objective of the debate competition is to inspire them to start thinking and talking about the possibilities of India realizing the vision of the Prime Minister to make India a Swachh Country by the year 2019,” stated the Secretary. 
SELFIE WITH GARBAGE
This unique state level intervention which aims at encouraging people to be the change they want to see in their surroundings. “Going by the craze of selfies, the idea is to encourage people to click selfies with garbage that they see in their surroundings, click a selfie with garbage, clean up the place and click another selfie with the place cleaned,” it is informed.
The objective is to provide people hands-on opportunity to become change agents in their respective areas and also to win attractive prizes by competing to become the best selfie person. The competition is online and the last date for submission of selfies is 22 October.
WALK THE TALK LOUD
Sikkim’s first walkathon competition, Walk the Talk Loud, will be held in two categories - 3 kms for college and school students; and 1 kms for the general public. The organisers have also requested senior citizens to participate in the event. The walkathon will be conducted on 30 October and attractive prizes would be given away to the winners.
MONEY FROM WASTE - YOU SELL, WE PAY
This event seeks to encourage young minds to get creative with waste. School students can exhibit and sell products made out of waste at Gangtok on 31 October. The last date for submission of entries by schools is 27 October. It is informed that the department will also award the students who earn the most by the end of the day.
“The objective of the intervention is to inspire young minds to start looking at opportunities of sustainability through waste in the years to come,” the Secretary informed.
WORKSHOP FOR RELIGIOUS HEADS
The organisers have also decided to organise a workshop for Religious Heads on 27 October. The workshop is being coordinated by Kanchandzonga Conservation Committee [KCC], Yuksam. “Religious heads are potentially viable positive change agents in the process of sanitation and their discourse plays a very pivotal role in changing people towards further betterment of the society,” it is informed. 
ELOCUTION COMPETITION
A state level elocution competition will also be held in the districts with the finals of the same to be held on 31 October 2015. All events in the districts are being headed by the ADCs [Development].
The grand finale of the competition will held on 31 October, where final competitions of elocution and Point Counter Point will be held along with prize distribution ceremonies to winners of the various competitions.

The final day will also have poster display and the Money from Waste - You Sell, We Pay competition will be held simultaneously at MG Marg on 31 October.
As part of the outreach programme, a series of videos related to sanitation and related aspects were exclusively made for WhatsApp which would be circulated amongst the general public throughout the month.
“This is a first of its kind campaign where we are targeting smart phone users to become more aware on Sanitation and spread the awareness campaign,” the Secretary expressed.
The department has already conducted an Inter-School Slogan Writing Competition on 25 September which was the first day of the National Sanitation Campaign. Students from 13 schools across Gangtok took part in the competition and more than 150 creative slogans were submitted. It is informed that the department has shortlisted the top 16 entries of which the final three slogans would win prizes from the department to be declared on 31 October.