Rural India is now Open-Defecation free, says PM Modi
Rural India has declared itself Open Defecation free, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday. Speaking at the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad on Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary, Modi also said the world appreciated India for providing toilets to over 60 crore people.
"Today, rural India and its villages have declared themselves ODF. This the power and source of success of the ongoing 'Swachhta Abhiyan' (cleanliness drive) being run based on self-motivation and with public participation," he said in his address at the Sabarmati river front.
Making the announcement, Modi said that this motivational place of Sabarmati has become the witness of this success.
The Modi government had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) from October 2, 2014 with an aim to achieve ODF India by October 2, 2019.
What is open defecation:
Open defecation: A practice whereby people go out in fields, bushes, forests, open bodies of water, or other open spaces than using the toilet to defecate.
How open defecation poses serious threat:
According to UNICEF, open defecation poses serious threat to the health of children in India. Open defecation exposes women to the danger of physical attacks and encounters such as snake bites. Poor sanitation also doubles up as a problem in national development - workers produce less, live shorter lives, save and invest less, and are less able to send their children to school.
How UNICEF partnered with India in its Open-defecation free quest:
India's ambitious Swachh Bharat mission emphasised generating awareness, sharing information and creating behaviour change to bridge the gap between building toilets and their proper use.
UNICEF developed the national sanitation and hygeine, advocacy and communication strategy for the Government of India. It has been working with state governments to develop and implement state sanitatio and hygiene.
UNICEF has been working with the other departments of the Government of India such as the Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to improve the situation of WASH in schools and in health centres.
Steps taken for Open-Defecation free India:
CATS Pilots: Pilots of Community Approaches to Total Sanitation (CATS) were introduced in six states, to demonstrate how grassroots methods can be harnessed to deliver open defecation free (ODF) communities quickly and with quality.
WASH in Health Centres:
Health Ministry, working in collaboration with UNICEF, has been working to map WASH compliance in health facilities in the most deprived districts and is making recommendations to address non-compliance.
Communication Support:
In terms of communication campaigns, the WASH section provided technical support to the Government of India to develop the national Sanitation and Hygiene, Advocacy and Communication Strategy (SHACS).
