Patna: The rural development department has planned to uplift Bihar's performance in eliminating open defecation and sanitation with the support of Unicef even as over 50 per cent of the population is bereft of toilet facilities.

A seminar on the "Role of media in creating a social movement for an open defecation-free Bihar" was held in this connection here on Thursday.

"Bihar's achievement in terms of open defecation is very low. To achieve the desired goal, we need to make sustained efforts for at least two years," said rural development secretary Arvind Chaudhary. "We cannot expect an overnight shift. There is a clear need to focus on behavioural change, sustained efforts, capacity building and better monitoring," he added. "Our goal is to make Bihar free of open defecation by October 2, 2019. However, we hope to eliminate the practice a little earlier, by March 31 the same year."

Recalling Mahatma Gandhi's emphasis on sanitation, Chaudhary said: "Sanitation is one of the most important teachings of the Father of our Nation," he said.

Lohiya Swachh Bihar Abhiyan director Balamurugan D. said: "The mission aims to eliminate the practice of open defecation in the state by using the provisions under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Grameen and Lohiya Swachhta Yojana. It is not a toilet construction drive but a behavioural change initiative. We hope to cover 50 per cent of our population with toilet facilities by April 10 this year."

"Swachhta (sanitation) is the fittest tribute to Gandhi ji. Sanitation is the right of every child irrespective of caste and religion and open defecation is a serious threat to children's health, which has long-term consequences for the country. Therefore, every stakeholder has been brought onboard, including the media, to make Bihar an open defecation-free state. The role of media is crucial in mobilising support and spreading awareness," said Bihar Unicef chief Asadur Rahman.

During the discourse, the success story of Rohtas district in west Bihar, 205km from Patna, was discussed, wherein all 19 blocks and 245 gram panchayats and 1,541 villages have been declared open defecation-free in January 2018, under Mission Pratishtha, a campaign to eradicate the practice of open defecation in the district.

During the drive, various remarkable initiatives were undertaken such as naming toilets Samman Ghar, training programmes for sanitation workers and deployment of motivators and formation of monitoring committees at the village-level. "It was a administrative convergence program under the slogan "Swachh karyalay, swachh vidyalaya" (clean offices and clean schools).

Pushpa Chaudhari, a swachhagrahi from Uttarakhand, said: "We welcome the state government's decision to provide monetary incentives to those wards which covered 75 per cent of their population with toilets" but added: "Behavioural change has been the biggest challenge in making Bihar open defecation-free."

Rinku Kumari, a swachhagrahi (motivator) from Adampur village in Nalanda district, said: "We created awareness programmes, used persuasive techniques and appealed people to stop such a shameless exercise."

However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the gathering of swachhagrahis in Motihari in East champaran on April 10. The programme will be organised by the Union ministry of drinking water and sanitation and the Bihar government under Swachhta se Swachhagraha initiative with a slogan "Chalo Champaran" to celebrate the centenary year of Champaran Satyagraha. A total of 20,000 swachhagrahis from the state and the country will gather to encourage people for sanitation during the programme.