In a bid to prioritise cleanliness and sanitation, the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has unveiled the ‘Clean Toilets Campaign’ on the occasion of World Toilet Day 2023. This extensive initiative, scheduled to run from November 19th to December 25th, 2023, aims to enhance the operation and sustainability of public and community toilets.
The Clean Toilets Campaign spans over 5 weeks and includes efforts to clean and maintain all public and community toilets. As a key component of this campaign, the ‘Clean Toilets Challenge’ has been introduced to recognize outstanding public toilets that exemplify cleanliness, accessibility, innovative design, and functionality.
Additionally, to further bolster sanitation efforts in cities, a 2-day national capacity-building workshop will be held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on November 23rd and 24th, 2023. This workshop, organised under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0), will facilitate discussions on planning and implementation strategies, with a particular focus on sanitation, mechanised desludging, and used water management.
Since its inception in 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission has brought about significant advancements in sanitation practices worldwide. SBM-U 2.0, with its emphasis on innovation, governance, and adopting a circular economy approach in smaller towns, seeks to revolutionize sanitation practices in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Cities with populations of less than 1 lakh, such as Panchgani, Patan, and Karhad, are setting examples in holistic swachhata (cleanliness) and waste management. These cities are actively addressing liquid waste management and ensuring the safe containment, collection, transportation, and treatment of wastewater to prevent pollution of water bodies.
The 2-day National Capacity Building Workshop organised by MoHUA brought together senior leadership from state governments, including State Mission Directors, nodal officers, and engineers responsible for sanitation, mechanised desludging, and used water management in urban areas. The workshop featured discussions on topics such as the operation and maintenance of community and public toilets, financing in the sanitation sector, livelihood opportunities in sanitation, and mechanised desludging.
Ms. Roopa Mishra, Joint Secretary at MoHUA, emphasised the need to move beyond the boundaries set by previous programs and achieve safe sanitation defined by clean land, clean water, and clean air. The workshop highlighted the commitment to improving sanitation and creating a healthier, more sustainable future for urban areas across the country.
