**Summary:**
In response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2991, answered on August 7, 2025, by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri V. Somanna, the Ministry addressed the impact of the "Healthy Childhood through Pure Water and Sanitation" campaign. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) participated in the 7th edition of Poshan Pakhwada from April 8-23, 2025, aligning with the Ministry of Women and Child Development's Saksham Anganwadi scheme. The campaign, themed "Shuddh Jal aur Swachhta Se Swasth Bachpan" (Clean Water and Sanitation for Healthy Childhood), emphasized the importance of clean water practices and sanitation for child nutrition and health. While a direct evaluation of the campaign's impact on child nutrition and health awareness has not been conducted by the Department, the campaign's reach and awareness generation were apparent through social media data. The hashtag #DDWSJoinsPoshanPakhwada achieved over 11 million impressions and reached over half a million users, with sentiment analysis indicating a positive tone and no negative sentiment recorded.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Jal Shakti: A ministry in the Government of India responsible for water resources and sanitation.
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation: A department under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, focused on providing safe drinking water and sanitation.
Healthy Childhood through Pure Water and Sanitation: A campaign by the Government of India focused on the impact of pure water and sanitation on child nutrition and health awareness.
Poshan Pakhwada: A fortnight-long event focused on nutrition-related activities, in which the DDWS participated.
Ministry of Women and Child Development: A ministry in the Government of India focused on women and child development.
Saksham Anganwadi: A scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, aligned with the Poshan Pakhwada campaign.
Shuddh Jal aur Swachhta Se Swasth Bachpan Clean Water and Sanitation for Healthy Childhood: The theme of the Poshan Pakhwada campaign, emphasizing the link between clean water, sanitation, and child health.
SHRI V. SOMANNA: Minister of State for Jal Shakti
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2991
ANSWERED ON 07.08.2025
HEALTHY CHILDHOOD THROUGH PURE WATER AND SANITATION
†2991. SHRI CHINTAMANI MAHARAJ:
SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:
SHRI DULU MAHATO:
DR. RAJESH MISHRA:
DR. MANNA LAL RAWAT:
SHRI P P CHAUDHARY:
SMT. VIJAYLAKSHMI DEVI:
SMT. SANDHYA RAY:
SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI:
SMT. ROOPKUMARI CHOUDHARY:
SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT:
SHRI JASWANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR:
SHRI BHOJRAJ NAG:
SMT. SMITA UDAY WAGH:
MS. BANSURI SWARAJ:
SHRI ALOK SHARMA:
MS. KANGNA RANAUT:
SMT. KAMLESH JANGDE:
SHRI JAGDAMBIKA PAL:
SHRI CHAVDA VINOD LAKHAMSHI:
SHRI RAJKUMAR CHAHAR:
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has evaluated the impact of the "Healthy Childhood through Pure
Water and Sanitation" campaign on child nutrition and health awareness; and
(b) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI V. SOMANNA)
(a) & (b) Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), participated in the 7th edition
of Poshan Pakhwada from 8th to 23rd April 2025. Aligning with the Ministry of Women and
Child Development’s Saksham Anganwadi scheme, the campaign themed “Shuddh Jal aur
Swachhta Se Swasth Bachpan” (Clean Water and Sanitation for Healthy Childhood), focused
on clean water practices and sanitation as crucial elements for a child’s nutrition and overall
health.
Page 1 of 2Though the impact of the campaign in raising awareness on child nutrition and health has not
been directly evaluated by the Department, however, the reach and amplification of the Poshan
Pakhwada campaign to create awareness generation is apparent through following data on
various social media handles:-
• Reach & Impressions: The campaign had this hashtag- #DDWSJoinsPoshanPakhwada
that has a strong digital footprint with over 11 million impressions and over half a
million in reach.
• Sentiment analysis: The engagement has a positive tone for the campaign. No negative
sentiment was recorded.
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