SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad Sept 2: The IIT Indian School of Mines (IIT-ISM) Dhanbad students on Friday launched a cleanliness drive named ‘Swachhata Pakhwada’ in and out of campus for awareness regarding health, hygiene and environmental issues among people.
The campaign was organised under the directives of the Union Ministry of Education and is being carried out under supervision of ‘Centre for Societal Mission (CSM)’ of IIT (ISM) in different hostels, and adopted villages including Malhar Basti, Lahbani and Dhaiya to inculcate habit of cleanliness and hygiene among students and the basti residents.
Prof Sanjeev Anand Sahu, associate professor of the department of mathematics cum CSM head said, “Under the drive, students are, spreading awareness about menstruation hygiene among the girl students of underprivileged sections of the society.
“At the same time, students held plantation drives in different parts of the institute and outside the campus,” he added.
Prof Sahu further said that under the menstruation awareness drive, students have launched the sanitary pad donation camp at different places on the campus including at the ground floor of Central Library, Main Canteen, Mini Mart, Rosaline Hostel and Amul Parlour.
CSM student coordinator Aparna and lady staff of CSM Babita Ghosh said that though the sanitary napkin donation drive will continue for a fortnight. The intensive parts of campaign on the campus will be held from September 1 to 7 only, they added.
“The distribution of sanitary napkins will be carried out during the second week of the fortnight from September 8 to 15 in different government schools with special focus on girl students of residential schools like Kasturba Gandhi Balika Awasiya Vidyalaya,” said Rakesh Kumar, a student coordinator of Centre for Societal Mission.
“Besides that, under the programme of Union Ministry of Education IIT ISM students would be carrying out workshops among girl students in government schools and will explain them about the significance of maintaining hygiene and dispelling myths and taboos regarding menstruation,” said Aparna.
Prof Sanjeev Anand Sahu said also that during the drive, brooming as well as garbage collection will be carried out on Sunday beginning from September 4 in Rosaline Girls Hostel as well as PG hostel and in Malhar Basti simultaneously. A similar drive will be conducted in Middle School, Dhaiya and Lahbani basti. The plantation drive would be organised on September 11.
