Three-month campaign to include similar walkathons across all districts
TNR News Network
SHIMLA:
A large public awareness campaign against chitta, a synthetic drug that has become a major concern in Himachal Pradesh, was launched on Saturday (November 15, 2025) with an overwhelming response from residents.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu initiated the statewide drive by flagging off an Anti-Chitta Walkathon from Shimla’s historic Ridge.
Hundreds of participants joined the event, marking the beginning of a three-month campaign that will include similar walkathons across all districts. The Chief Minister emphasised that the initiative would be transformed into a people’s movement to ensure deeper community involvement.
The walkathon route stretched from the Ridge to Chaura Maidan and saw enthusiastic participation from Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, the entire state cabinet, MLAs, government officials, students from schools and colleges, and representatives of various social organisations. At the Ridge and CTO Chowk, children presented vibrant Juba dance performances, encouraging the public to reject drugs and adopt a healthy lifestyle. The Himachal Police Orchestra also performed during the event, energising the crowd.
Following the state-level launch, similar programmes will be rolled out at district and sub-division levels to continue spreading the message against substance abuse.
During the ceremony, Chief Minister Sukhu administered an oath to the attendees, urging them to stay away from intoxication of any kind, discourage others from drug use and help build a cleaner and healthier Himachal. Raising the slogan “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” he called on citizens to work together to eliminate the menace of drugs from society.
