New Delhi: Union Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DoDWS), Ashok K Meena has emphasized the importance of a bottom-up approach in ensuring sustained behavioral change.
Shri Meena was speaking, while launching nationwide campaign organized by the DoDWS for “Hamara Shauchalay: Hamara Samman” (HSHS) on November 19, World Toilet Day.
And the campaign will culminate on Human Rights Day, December 10, 2024, emphasizing the critical link between sanitation, human rights and dignity.
Union Secretary Shri Meena said that “Sanitation is a cornerstone of dignity and development. The ‘Hamara Shauchalay: Hamara Samman’ campaign is designed to empower communities, with responsibilities allocated across every level, Gram Panchayats, blocks, districts, and states.
This ensures that every stakeholder contributes to sustaining sanitation practices, building pride, and driving long-term impact.”
He further added, “On World Toilet Day, as we align with global efforts to achieve SDG 6, India renews its commitment to creating equitable access to sanitation and ensuring no one is left behind.”
The campaign reaffirms India’s commitment to maintaining its Open Defecation Free (ODF) status while promoting behavioral change for cleaner, healthier communities.
While India achieved ODF status in 2019, the Phase II of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) was launched to focus on the creation of ODF Plus Model villages, where the first criterion is sustaining ODF achievements.
This aligns with the spirit of World Toilet Day, reminding and ensuring continued toilet usage and maintenance is as important as achieving initial milestones. The HSHS campaign serves as a timely call to action to sustain and build on these efforts.
With a strong focus on vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls, this initiative underlines that toilets are more than infrastructure, they are foundational to dignity, equality, and public health aligned with the campaign tagline “शौचालय संवारें, जीवन निखारें” Speaking of this campaign,