“Sanitation means eradication of water-borne diseases like diarrhea, cholera, and hepatitis, gain in productive time, saving the cost of medicines and better health and prosperity. Improved sanitation, including hand washing with soap and water purification, could worldwide save the lives of 1.5 million children, who suffer from diarrhoeal diseases each year”.
-The Tribune, New Delhi, April 21,2010
It is interesting to know that the availability or lack of toilet is today being linked with productivity and economic advancement of a country. Insanitation leads to diseases which cause absenteesm and ultimately productivity loss. It has further been reasearched that investment for sanitational causes are as profitable as in industry or other sectors. To be more precise, they have calculated, rupee one invested in sanitation brings back rupee eight via gain in productivity.
Yesterday (Jul14,2013), a news channel was inviting viewers to respond to a question that if they were made the prime minister for one day, what is the first work that they will like do. The replies of the respondents were simultaneously being displayed. They were telling to remove poverty, eradicate corruption, pass lokpal bill, make CBI autonomous, reform electoral system, improve educational system, strengthen our army, create job opportunities for youth so on and so forth. The channel had also announced to award one cellphone to each of five best repliers. I had written that my first priority would be to get passed a law, giving right to clean potable water and clean toilet to all countrymen. Obviously it did not invite any notice. What to talk of the cellphone, even the message did not find space in the moving ticker. I am not sad that I was not noticed. I am sad because this gives an indication that even today, the public bias against toilet persists. Simultaneously it is a message to the sanitarians around the world to rededicate themselves to this cause and not to rest till each one of us became aware of sanitation in general and toilet in particular. Much time is not left for the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals. Did not Pt Nehru say, “ I shall deem India to be on the pinnacle of civilization the day when every Indian will have access to clean toilets”.
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