Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department (RD&PRD), Kargil under Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin Phase-II organized Information Education and Communication (IEC) and behavior change communication program followed by a cleanliness drive at Hardas village on April 27.

District Panchayat Officer Kargil (DPO), Padma Angmo; BDO Kargil, Samina Khatoon, along with other officers, officials, and Sarpanchs, Panchs, and villagers participated in the drive.

The program was aimed to sensitize and clean the village so that Open Defecation Free (ODF) sustainability and ODF Plus model status would be achieved.

DPO Kargil sensitized the villagers about the role of primary segregation in solid and waste management. She instructed the villagers not to mix dry and liquid waste so that the secondary segregation becomes easy.

 She talked about the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin Phase-II objective and urged the villagers to actively participate in the awareness drive so that the targets would be achieved by the end of this year.

The BDO Kargil elaborated on the need to adopt a system of periodical cleanings, maintenance, and initiation of preventive measures for containing diseases. She stressed positive thinking, good health, and personal hygiene and how these factors contribute to improving the financial condition by reducing expenditure on the treatment of diseases. 

The BDO detailed the importance of cleanliness, personal hygiene and maintenance of hygienic conditions in their respective areas. She also talked about the difference between solid and liquid waste and the segregation process thereof.

Panchayat Secretary, Agha Syed Toha highlighted important points regarding solid and liquid waste management. He talked about the importance of a cleanliness drive in the village.

The whole area was cleaned during the drive with the help of locals/villagers.