The nation’s children can be catalysts of change. The government seems to have taken this cue, and will now bring out a comic book to promote awareness on sanitation in order to realise the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a Swachh Bharat.
The Ministry of Urban Development on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amar Chitra Katha to publish and distribute a special edition of the comic book.
“The 32-page comic book will carry messages pertaining to sanitation and solid waste components of Swachh Bharat Mission,” the statement from the Ministry said. It will comprise a series of inspirational stories from the mission, cleanliness rankings of cities, the public figures and ambassadors, environmental impact, and stories of individuals and organisations.
“Youth and students are one of the biggest change agents for any social transformation and the comic book would aim to engage with them in an innovative manner and spread the message of cleanliness,” Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said.
Amar Chitra Katha will develop and create the comic book in English and translate it into Hindi. The Ministry will distribute them through national school boards such as CBSE, Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya.
The comic book will also have an interactive workbook of tips for children to clean their own areas, organise community cleanliness drives etc.
This initiative follows the government’s announcement of roping in youth in the National Capital Region to spread the message of cleanliness. The Ministry on Tuesday signed an MoU with Nehru Yuvak Kendra under which the latter will deploy 50 youth for 52 days in each of the five municipal areas of Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Noida. This pilot engagement exercise will comprise awareness and motivational campaigns through elocution, cultural performances, nukkad nataks etc.
The Swachh Bharat Mission envisages construction of 1.04 crore individual household toilets in all the 4,041 statutory cities and towns besides 5.08 lakh community and public toilets and 100 per cent door-to- door collection and scientific disposal of solid waste at a cost of ₹ 62,009 crore.