Dettol’s Swachh Bharat initiative sets sailing with Nukkad Nataks

Dettol Banega Swasth India has launched Swachh Bharat Swasth Bharat Yatra to raise awareness on health, hygiene, and sanitation through a series of 90 Nukkad Nataks performed on boats across ghats of Varanasi followed by schools in Gorakhpur.

The initiative under thought leadership of Reckitt and implemented by PLAN India, embarked on this journey to inspire children, communities, and individuals with the aim to help develop conscious hand hygiene practices, said the company release. 

Swachh Bharat Swasth Bharat Yatra inaugurated in Varanasi was attended by Padma Shri 2022 – Swami Sivananda Swamiji, Dr. Daya Shankar Mishra, Minister of State in the Ministry of Aayush of Uttar Pradesh, Mridula Jaiswal, Mayor – Varanasi, Dr. Umesh Shukla, Additional Education Director – Varanasi and Dr. Rakesh Singh, District Education Officer – Varanasi. The yatra commenced at Assi Ghat to go on to Rajghat, crossing a total of 84 ghats through the journey with 150 teachers conducting activities on the ghats, educating the audience on cleanliness, health and environment.

Commenting on the initiative, Ravi Bhatnagar, Director, External Affairs & Partnerships SOA, Reckitt, said, “With DBSI, we have been at the forefront of using innovative campaigns to promote and enforce positive hygiene behaviour by hosting engaging activities with children. The core idea is to create awareness about hand hygiene and help spread the message of overall health with use of creative formats guided by culturally adaptive behavour change communication. DBSI aims to empower local communities to drive behaviour change that has a long-lasting impact on their lives.” 

Mridula Jaiswal, Mayor, Varanasi stated, “With this unique effort of Dettol Banega Swasth India, through Nukkad Nataks, yet another innovative way to reach out to children for health and hygiene, program has again been able to mark its importance in lives of students and community.”

Swami Sivananda Swamiji, Padma Shri 2022 expressed, “Swach Bharat Swasth Bharat Yatra is an example of Dettol Banega Swasth India Program’s efforts to make children as change agent of hygiene and we urge that every child should be associated with the project for healthier future”.

Dr. Daya Shankar Mishra, Minister of State in the Ministry of Aayush of Uttar Pradesh stated, “Good health starts from good hygiene, and we should all take step together in joining years of good practices of School Hygiene Education Program for betterment of nation and future”.

Mohammed Asif, Executive Director, Plan India stated, “Our long-standing relationship with DBSI has helped us bring about a significant change in people’s lives with Dettol Banega Swasth India. Children are the future of our country, and the Dettol School Hygiene Education Program’s outreach has helped create awareness and foster behaviour change for best hygiene practices among children and adolescents. We are thrilled to be associated with this initiative to help bring forth the importance of hand hygiene among different communities through on-ground impactful activities involving education leaders and seekers like teachers and children.”

The Swachh Bharat Swasth Bharat Yatra commenced with a Ganga Yatra in Varanasi, a tour through the Ganges covering 84 ghats (from Assi ghat to Raj Ghat) followed by Nukkad Natak performances by teams on three boats. The event came to a closure with alluring lights of Ganga Aarti. The initiative took 150 teachers through different activities on all the ghats highlighting importance of cleanliness, health, and the environment. The overall initiative covered over 45 schools while reaching out to 300 teachers and 10,000 children.