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'Sauchayala Chhe!' Gujarat Schools Will Now Roll Call To Ensure Toilets At Students' Home

'Sauchayala Chhe!' Gujarat Schools Will Now Roll Call To Ensure Toilets At Students' Home
An Indian child defecates in an open near a railway track on International Toilet Day in New Delhi on November 19, 2015. About 1.1 billion people around the world defecate in the open because they do not have access to proper sanitation facilities. / AFP / SAJJAD HUSSAIN (Photo credit should read SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/Getty Images)
SAJJAD HUSSAIN via Getty Images
An Indian child defecates in an open near a railway track on International Toilet Day in New Delhi on November 19, 2015. About 1.1 billion people around the world defecate in the open because they do not have access to proper sanitation facilities. / AFP / SAJJAD HUSSAIN (Photo credit should read SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet campaign Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been trying to make its footprint in his home state, Gujarat, for a while now, there's still a long way to go.

Recent data by the state government had showed that more than 4,500 ‘anganwadis’ out of the nearly 53,000 such centres in Gujarat do not have drinking water facility while over 5,600 of them are running without toilets.

However, the state has managed to construct more toilets than any other state. Gujarat constructed 327,880 individual toilets until December 2015 even as other states have managed to construct only 24 percent of their target toilets.

Now, the state has decided to go a step ahead.

Government schools in Narmada district of Gujarat have decided to ensure the students get inspired from their peers.

In an attempt to instill a sense of “hygiene” in the students and their families as part of the district’s open defecation free (ODF) drive, the administration has put in place a new form of roll call, reports Indian Express.

When a student's name is called out by the teacher, instead of saying "Present Sir", the student has to respond in either “sauchayala chhe” (I have a toilet at home) or “sauchayala nathi” (I don’t have a toilet at home) or “sauchalaya bane chhe” (toilet at home is under construction)

According to the authorities, the month-long rigorous exercise will ensure that every home in the district has a toilet as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

A circular issued by the district education officer (DEO) said that "it is imperative to instill the values of hygiene in the minds of the primary school children so that an open dialogue can be initiated in their homes about building toilets."

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.