Urban development ministry ties up with dabbawallas to spread sanitation message
The union ministry of urban development has joined hands with the dabbawallas of Mumbai to spread the message of hygiene and sanitation in the city. Over two lakh tiffin boxes are delivered by these dabbawallas to office goers daily. As part of the new initiative, the dabbas will now come with sticker messages on cleanliness, hygiene and waste management. Prime minister Narendra Modi nominated Mumbai’s dabbawallas to transform the Swachh Bharat Mission into a jan andolan.
Pay and use toilets installed in 75 suburban train stations in Chennai
Southern railway’s Chennai division has successfully installed pay and use toilets in stations across all three suburban routes. Mobile toilets have been installed in stations that function in rented premises. The Chennai high court had issued directions to this effect following a PIL from Satta Panchayat Iyakkam, a Chennai-based NGO, on the deplorable state of toilets in the city's stations. NGOs and private agencies have been roped in to maintain these toilets. A follow-up survey conducted by Satta Panchayat Iyakkam revealed that despite some improvement, most toilets in Chennai's suburban train route remain inaccessible.
Ludhiana administration plans to make the district open defecation free by December
Ludhiana administration is working overtime to ensure the construction of 5000 toilets in a bid to make the district open defecation free by December 2016. The water supply and sanitation department will construct 3200 toilets, while the rest will be built by Bharti Foundation. Till date, 162 villages in the district have been announced open defecation free. Seven committees have been set up to oversee the district campaign while village-level committees have been established to ensure that the residents are made aware about the need for good sanitation practices and continue to use toilets.
Government flagship programmes to receive NRI funding soon
The union government is putting together plans to get the huge non-resident Indian (NRI) population to contribute financially to some of the centre’s flagship programmes such as Namami Gange and Swachh Bharat Mission. Prime minister Modi has been an active propagator of the idea in the past and kicked the process off during his recent visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The government will accept donations from NRIs for implementing development projects and will, in-turn, felicitate those who come forward to support the cause.
Union health ministry launches programme to fight diarrhoea
Recognising that nearly 1.2 lakh children under the age of five succumb to diarrhoea every year in India, the union health ministry launched the Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight to be observed between July 11 and 23 across the country. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) will be trained to demonstrate oral rehydration therapy and promote good sanitation practices at the community level.
This is a roundup of important sanitation-related news published between July 9 and 15, 2016
Lead image courtesy: The Hindu Business Line