Foreigners pedaling towards cleaner, healthier Himachal

 Shimla, Oct 1: Foreigners were pedaling towards a cleaner and healthier countryside in Himachal Pradesh, literally. The central government’s ambitious programme Swachh Bharat Abhiyan may not be on their agenda, but they were racing towards generating awareness among school children and local villagers on the importance of hygiene and sanitation while negotiating sharp curves. They are associated with the eight-day 13th Hero MTB (mountain biking) Himalaya race that began from the state capital on September 29 and will culmite in Dharamsala town after traversing largely over tiny helmets spread over 650 km on October 7.

Mission Smile, the fourth year in succession that runs along with the MTB Himalaya race, is a HASTPA’s social initiative that aims to educate the children and their parents to eradicate open defecation and improve hygiene.
The so-called ‘Ambassadors of Hygiene’ every day visit around eight government schools located along the race route and educate the students along with their teachers and parents through interactions and distributing booklets published by HASTPA. One of the schools they visited on Sunday was located in the interiors of Kullu district. The schools were opened despite being a weekend holiday. (IANS)

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