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Young World
CELEBRATE A DAY
Sanitation matters!
RAJESWARI NAMAGIRI
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March 22 is World Water Day and this year the theme is sanitation.
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Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
Water: Is it safe to drink?
Does your school have toilet and drinking water facilities? Are they adequate? Is there running water and soap in the toilets? If yes, then you are indeed privileged. Did you know that 60 out of 100 government schools function without toilets. The number of schools without toilet facilities is 4,38,610! Students have to use open areas for their needs and many girl students drop out of school because of lack of basic amenities. Many schools do not have provision of safe drinking water.
The United Nations declared 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation. Sanitation is also the theme for the World Water Day 2008 which is observed on March 22.
Highly critical
Why is sanitation so important? Sanitation ensures public health and accrues many benefits. It ensures human dignity. It contributes to economic development by preventing loss of human days due to ill health caused by diseases spread through transfer of germs from human excreta.
It reduces deaths due to diseases like cholera, jaundice, diarrhoea, etc. (Every year in our country about 5,00,000 children die due to diarrhoea, though it can be prevented by providing safe drinking water and sanitation facilities!)
It contributes to environmental hygiene by keeping soil and water free of pathogen contamination. It reduces the risk of women and girls to violence and abuse as they no longer have to use the open areas after nightfall.
It promotes schooling by reducing absenteeism, increasing classroom performance and enrolment, particularly that of girls.
One of the biggest development challenges for a densely populated country like ours is to provide a large percentage of the population in villages, towns and cities with safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities.
Children’s Media Unit, Centre for Environment Education
www.kidsrgreen.org
Act Now
Sanitation begins at home but is an equally important aspect of the school. Access to clean toilets and safe drinking water is a basic right. If there is no toilet in your school, draw the attention of the authorities to the fact.
Cooperate with the school authorities to keep toilets clean and usable. Ensure that there is water and soap available always. Use toilets, do not urinate or defecate in the open.
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