World Toilet Summit-2018 concludes creating a wave of combined responsibility.
India
to be Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2019
·
World Toilet Summit-2018
concludes creating a wave of combined responsibility.
·
Community leaders assure to
deliver their best to sustain the ODF status.
·
We have to stay watchful to
prevent recurrence of the unhygienic practice.
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi led ‘Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan’’ (Clean India Mission) has successfully built yet another pillar
through the ‘World Toilet Summit-2018’ on the ‘World Toilet Day’…
Mumbai,
2018: In the
heart of the bustling city Mumbai, a few thought leaders and their followers
gathered on November 19-20, to discuss the priority and chalk out the next
action plans to achieve the ‘open defecation free status’ for India by 2019.
Centering around the Government’s ‘’Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’’ (Clean India
Mission), launched under the leadership of the Hon. Prime Minister, Shri
Narendra Modi, the event, “World Toilet Summit-2018”, not only highlighted the
challenges on the way but also brainstormed the 350 entrepreneurs who have been
actively working in this field – on the latest technologies and the time-tested
best practices around the world.
The event attracted delegates from leading
corporate houses, Government agencies, ULB’s, NGOs and social business
entrepreneurs. Although, India hosted the Summit twice earlier in 2007 and
2015, this time the most significant feature of this Summit was participation
of delegates from different religious organisations like: Paramarth Niketan and
Jeeva Foundation. Muslim leader Mr. Maulana Masood and some other Buddhist
leaders also graced the occasion. All the community representatives and leaders
have taken up the call and assured further accelerated steps to achieve the
goal.
Along with Member of Parliament Mrs Poonam
Mahajan, renowned Film Star Mr. Akshay
Kumar who is also the Harpic Swachh Bharat Ambassador addressed the gathering.
Mahajan drew attention on the importance of cleanliness. Kumar recalled a sad story
that made him join the cleanliness movement – when he went to a village for
shooting he heard that one lady left her husband only because her hubby’s
family did not have a toilet. So, he acted in the fim Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. Later
Kumar and his wife actively participated in the sanitary hygiene movement too –
and acted in the film Padman. Kumar also assured to act in some more films to
bring awareness among people on the need of sanitary hygiene.
Through a video message, the Chief Minister
of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis communicated that Maharashtra declared
the ODF (Open Defecation Free) status last October. Now the State will work on
the sustainability of the ODF status. He also asserted that under the dynamic
leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, this is a reality that by 2019, India will be
Open Defecation Free.
Other prominent delegates who attended the
two-day event included – Mr. Gary White, CEO & Founder of Water.org;
Mr. Jack Sim, Founder of World Toilet Organisation (WTO); Dr. Dayanand Panse,
Director of Ecosan Services Foundation (ESF); Mr. Madhusudan Lohia, Director of
Merino Industries; and Ms. Jin Montesano, Chief Public Affairs Officer of LIXIL
Group. Dr. Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary, Swachh Bharat Mission received the
life-time achievement award in sanitation.
The Summit hosted several interactive
sessions with renowned keynote speakers and expert panelists. It has also
created a base for the establishment of multi-sectoral partnerships, leveraging
on local as well as international movements that will be supportive to the
Swachh Bharat Mission.
In the concluding remark, Dr. Panse
reminded, “While moving towards the realization of this target of making the
world and India Open Defecation Free., we need to work relentlessly to see that
this status remains. As per our experience,
because of reasons like faulty design or lack of sufficient water etc., people leave the use of constructed toilets,
and again the vicious circle starts. We have to be watchful to prevent such
recurrence.”
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