All students of Corporation schools have launched a campaign to improve sanitation and promote public health. The students will don the role of health ambassadors in their neighbourhoods in each of the 200 wards of the city, taking the responsibility of keeping their neighbourhoods clean. “All the 20,000 students from 281 Corporation schools will visit more than 33,000 streets as part of the campaign,” said an official.
Stressing the need for maintaining cleanliness in the residential neighbourhoods, the Corporation released a video film on Friday featuring students from its own schools as part of the awareness campaign “Clean Chennai, Healthy Chennai.”
The civic body has also taken a series of initiatives to create awareness about cleanliness and sanitation among an estimated 18 lakh slum dwellers. The student ambassadors will also help registered residents’ associations in all the 200 wards get access to information on civic issues.
The Corporation selected student health ambassadors from various schools across the city last month. Municipal Administration Minister S.P.Velumani addressed a gathering of the selected student ambassadors, congratulated them and distributed identity cards on Friday. He advised the student ambassadors to create awareness about dengue and communicable diseases among residents. The Corporation officials imparted training to the health ambassadors.
The health ambassadors will stress on the need for preventing open defecation and reduce stagnation of water in their neighbourhoods.
The student ambassadors will also promote rainwater harvesting. Residents have been requested to support the student health ambassadors for promotion of public health.
Officials said the campaign seeks to keep all the 12 lakh residential and commercial properties in the city clean to reduce mosquito breeding sources.
The video, released by the Corporation, will be screened at cinema halls in the city. The civic body also plans to run awareness campaigns using autorickshaws and rallies in the 200 wards.
