New Delhi [India], Sept. 22 : Carrying forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Swachh Bharat mission, 80,000 villages and 287 blocks in the country have become open-defecation free.

This was announced yesterday by Union Minister for Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar while addressing children from seven countries at a conference organised by the Sulabh School Sanitation Club, a child-centred and girl-led global movement of children and young adults, engaged in bringing about positive social transformation in schools by empowering girls through hygiene education.

He urged the children to act like sanitation agents to motivate families towards safe sanitation. Tomar also urged them to ensure 100 percent sanitation by 2019, a dream programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Lauding the efforts of Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak in the field of sanitation, Tomar made an impassioned appeal to support the ongoing 'Clean India' campaign.

It was quite interesting to see young sanitation ambassadors from seven countries come together to endorse the ongoing 'Clean India' campaign of the Prime Minister.

Students from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam as well as guest country South Africa participated in the day-long meet on "Breaking Boundaries: Children's vision towards sanitation" organized by the Sulabh International. (ANI)