Summary Report on World Day’ 2014

BACKDROP: A conjoint program on observing World Toilet Day on 19th November, 2014 was organized by Panchayat and Rural Development Department and Engineering Department, Govt. of West Bengal. recognized the need for for every households of the World. Hence, the subject of provision for toilets has become the global development priority. India, in this context, is also a land where the priority of Water and for all has been emphasized. In view of Open Free (ODF) India, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India has initiated (Gramin)which is one of the key agenda and expected to be achieved by 2019 to celebrate the 150th birth day of Mahatma Gandhi on October 02, 2019. In observing the prioritized occasion, a one day State level Seminar was held on November 19th at the Hotel Hindustan International, Kolkata inviting highest dignitaries, of the institutions, experts, NGO representatives and grass root level workers for understanding and conceptualizing the essence of World Toilet Day.

Over two hundred and Fifty participants from across the State had joined the Seminar that included State officials of Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), PRI representatives, Chairpersons (Janswasthya Karmadahkshya) of the standing committee of Public Health of the Zilla Parishad from the district, district officials from PHED, district SBM Coordinator, representatives of several Non-Governmental Organization and Media etc.

The central theme of the Seminar was to invite people for joining hands for making Swachh Bangla Mission which was not essentially focused to construction of toilet, but also its effective use and making it a practicewith a provision of supply of water for cleanliness and reuse of toilet.

Sri Subrata Mukherjee, Hon’ble Minister-in-Charge PHED and P&RD Department had kindly inaugurated the Seminar in presence of Secretary Sri Saurabh K Das, the Principal Secretary PHED and P&RDD Government of West Bengal along with the other dignitaries Sri Ashadur Rahaman State Representative UNICEF Kolkata, Sri Dibendu Sarkar Commissionar P&RDD, Sri AnimeshBhattachraiya Director WSSO, Prof. Indira Charavarty Chief Advisor WSSO, PHED and the key officials of PHED and P&RD Deptt. The workshop was moderated by Ms. Sonali Datta Roy Dy. Secretary P&RD Deptt and welcomed the delegates and participants.

Paving the way for materializing the theme, a few steps were discussed in the Seminar that:

1. Each and every household shall have toilets, every member of the family will use regularly, not only the use of toilets confined in the family practice, but the neighbours of the family should also be motivated for using toilets.

2. Drinking water should be collected from the safe sources, the safe water should be stored in a well washed container, instated of using hands, ladle should be used for drawing and distribution.

3. Each school should have provision for safe drinking water, student friendly toilets with supportive system for need to be provided (example: provision of water and soap etc).

4. The teachers should continuously be active in preaching the student for good practices of water and uses of toilets that would ultimately intern changed their behaviour.

5. Each and Every platform of the tube wells should be well constructed, waste water and logged water should have proper drainage system.

Substance of the speaker’s message: Sri Subrata Mukherjee, Hon’ble Minister-in-Charge in his inaugural address reflected the mindset of the society and the need for organizing World Toilet Day. He emphasized the need for mass awareness and involvement of civil society for reaching out to the communities with key messages for improved understanding, the need and scope of efficient sanitation and need for triggering.

He indicated that the State Government’s commitment to Mission Nirmal Bangla needs to accelerate the service delivery for improving the access to toilets in rural areas to stop . However, he emphasized that the most challenging part of the program is to change the behaviour of the community towards sustainable use of facilities created.

After the inaugural speech, the Hon’ble MIC released a folder to all the stakeholders of the State on their roles and responsibilities for Mission Nirmal Bangla special mention to Panchayat Members. A Website (www.wbsanitation.org.in) of the mission was launched by the Minister.

Sri Saurabh K Das, Principal Secretary PHED and P&RDD Govt. of West Bengal precisely touched upon the Mission NirmalBalgla by 2017 which is an initiative by the State Government before launching of Swachh Bharat Mission.

Addressing the participants, the Nirmal Bangla should be taken as mission rather than a Govt. program. He sincerely acknowledged and appreciated the dynamic leadership of the Hon’ble MIC for inspiring the stakeholders at large. Prof. Indira Chakravarty made a presentation on the impact of water and sanitation on health and and essentially the overall growth of individual. She highlighted that due to lack of cleanliness as a whole on the status of the individuals. Diarrheal disease is possible just the tip of the ice berg because the vast horizon health problem including nutrition.

Sri Ashadur Rahaman spoke on the significance of the World Toilet Day and presented the global scenario reflecting sanitation situation. He mentioned that apart from strong political commitment and administrative will, the stakeholders especially the civil society have a major role towards changing the behaviour of people for stopping open defecation.

Sri Dibyendu Sarkar presented the overall sanitation scenario in West Bengal and appealed to achieve the objectives of Mission Nirmal Bangla by 2017. He strongly felt of the need for community led total sanitation and triggering for involving people to change their way of life. He stressed that symbolic ‘Meena’ would be one of the communication tool for the promotion of sanitation and .

Sri Animesh Bhattachrya, Director WSSO narrated the status of drinking water of the State and had sincerely expressed the optimistic view of Vision 2020 which had well structured Objectives, Strategies and Approaches to meet the need of the people. He mentioned that under the support fund of NRDWP, the action for Mission Nirmal Bangla would be one of the key mandates and key challenges for all of us.

Executive Summary: The observance of World Toilet Day on 19th November 2014 was not simply a day confined in the seminar, but it is something beyond the celebration. Participants had overall understanding on the roles and responsibilities for achieving the Goal ofMission Nirmal Bangla and received every assurance for from the Seminar.