The Hindu 20.11.2013
Rallies taken out to mark World Toilet Day
A World Toilet Day rally being taken out in Udhagamandalam on Tuesday.— Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy
People should use toilets and not defecate in the open,
is the message the Coimbatore Corporation sent out on Tuesday on the
occasion of World Toilet Day. The Corporation school students took out a
rally, which the Mayor, S.M. Velusamy, flagged off at the North
Coimbatore school on Tuesday. A release said that open defecation led to
the spread of typhoid, cholera, diarrhoea and infections. Growth of
children was affected because of open defecation.
To
improve hygiene, the city’s residents would do well to use toilets. The
Corporation managed 251 public convenience facilities in the five zones,
the release added.
Deputy Commissioner S. Sivarasu, Assistant Commissioner Amalraj and other officials were present at the inauguration.
Special Correspondent from Udhagamandalam adds:
Rallies
and meetings were also organised here by civic bodies and non
governmental organisations to mark the day. A rally was taken out under
the aegis of the local municipality here. Underscoring the need to raise
the standard of sanitation by promoting the use of toilets officials,
workers and councillors participated.
Among them were the Chairman, Udhagamandalam Municipal Council, K. Sathyabama and Municipal Engineer B. Ramoorthy.
At
a meeting organised in Coonoor by the Rural Development Organization
(RDO), the Chairman of the organisation N.K. Perumal pointed out that
over 72 per cent of the population of The Nilgiris which now stood at
about 7.35 lakh have no access to sanitation/toilet facilities.
He
emphasised the need to address the problem without delay and prevent
diseases from getting out of hand. In order to check health problems and
pollution of rivers, streams and wells, the RDO has drawn up a plan of
action to help people put up one lakh household toilets.
Since
many of the schools are also ill-equipped vis a vis public conveniences
the students especially girls are subjected to a great deal of
inconvenience. It results in absenteeism and also forces students to
drop out. Hence, there is a plan to construct 2,500 toilets in schools.
Adverting
to an ambitious Open Defecation Free scheme, he said that in course of
time five lakh people and one lakh schoolchildren would benefit.
Staff Reporter from Tirupur adds:
Commemorating
the World Toilet Day, the Tirupur Corporation and Udumalpet
Municipality administrations conducted rallies and awareness campaigns
in its respective jurisdictions on Tuesday.
Udumalpet
municipal chairperson K.G.S. Shobana said that the campaign was aimed
at promoting clean toilets as well as educate the people on how open-air
defecation could upset hygienic environment. “We also carried out
cleaning of toilets in the public spaces and told the people the
importance of proper sanitation,” she added.
The
students, members of non-governmental organisations, elected
representatives of civic bodies and officials took part in the rallies
held in Tirupur city and Udumalpet.
The Tirupur
Corporation officials pasted stickers in public toilets carrying
messages to create awareness among the people of keeping the facility
neat.
