The union government launched an aggressive new campaign titled ‘Darwaza Band’ to promote toilet use and freedom from open defecation across the country’s villages.
The ‘Darwaza Band’ campaign has been supported by the World Bank and is being rolled out countrywide immediately after the launch. It is designed to encourage behaviour change in men who have toilets but are not using them.
Behaviour change has been the focus of Swachh Bharat Mission, which is being pursued through a countrywide comprehensive IEC(Information-Education-Communication) programme. Communication campaigns have been taken up both, at the central and State levels, for promoting sustained use of toilets and for sustaining the Open Defecation Free status achieved.
The number of people defecating in the open has reduced from 55 crores in May 2014 to 35 crores in May 2017.
Iconic actor, Amitabh Bachchan leads this campaign. The campaign also features actor, Ms Anushka Sharma, who is seen encouraging women to stand up for this issue in their villages and assume a leadership role.
The Amitabh Bachchan series of ads encourages behaviour change in men who have toilets but are not using them. The Anushka Sharma series of ads is a clarion call for women who are more affected by this problem to stand up for this issue in their village and influence a positive change. These have been developed by Lowe Lintas, Mumbai under a World Bank Project.