New Delhi, Nov 14 (IANS): Children can play a very important role in achieving a Swachh Bharat, Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi said Friday.

"Children can play a very important role in achieving a Swachh Bharat... They can become ambassadors of cleanliness and motivate others to keep their homes, schools, and surroundings clean," she said at the launch of the National Bal Swachhta Mission, which is part of the nationwide cleanliness drive - Swachh Bharat - launched Oct 2.

The minister added that cleanliness habits should be imbibed in children using informal ways like small games, poems, storytelling and conversation among others.

Gandhi, who also released a book on Bal Swachhta Mission prepared by National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD), said that the cleanliness drive has to be a nationwide effort and should include sustained measures taken up on a continuous basis.

The nationwide mission includes six themes: clean anganwadis, clean surroundings, clean self, clean food, clean drinking water and clean toilets.

"During the Bal Swachhta Week from Nov 14-19, one of the above themes would be covered at each anganwadi centre in the states," a ministry statement said.

It added that the events will be organized at state, district, block, and gram panchayat level.