Ensuring the city doesn’t stink, NGOs score sanitation goals

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There’s a lot that has been done in the field of creating awareness for sanitation and highlighting the importance of having access to toilets. On World Toilet Day, today, which is officially observed by the UN, there are events taking place worldwide to tackle the global sanitation crisis. Closer home, plastic has been recycled to make urinals in order to address sanitation and hygiene issues in some areas of the Capital.

“The reason we decided to use recycled plastic for making urinals is that it has no resale value, which means the ragpickers won’t have any incentive to steal these fixtures. Also, in the PeePee Urinals, we have a clay pot at the base that is made of natural ingredients like charcoal that breaks down urine to basic water,” says Devanshu Sengupta from NGO BasicShit. He adds, “So far, we have installed around 180 toilets in Delhi and recycled over 10 metric tonnes of plastic.” His team has also “recently installed a few toilets for women at a refugee camp in Majnu Ka Tila” to discourage the women living there from going to the Yamuna bank to defecate in the open, which is unhygienic and also increases their chances of getting harassed.

Sulabh International is organising a walkathon and symposium for the occasion at their complex in Delhi. (Photo: HT Photo (photo for representational purposes only))
Sulabh International is organising a walkathon and symposium for the occasion at their complex in Delhi. (Photo: HT Photo (photo for representational purposes only))

Finding another toilet if one is unclean poses a lot of problem for people. Saurabh Gupta, member of the NGO Shuddhi says that his team has installed more than 100 toilets in areas such as Pitampura, Rajouri Garden and Rohini, and “is now planning to improve the condition of these by employing more people to clean it”. He adds, “People should not pee in the open. It not only invites diseases but makes the place and our city smell like a big urinal. It’s our responsibility to ensure our city stays clean.”

Walk for a cause

There are also some events being organised in the city, to commemorate the day. “Under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2.0, of the UN, the aim is to ensure there is access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030,” shares RC Jha, vice president of non-profit organisation Sulabh International, adding,”Humne iss theme pe ek symposium organise kiya hai on the occasion of World Toilet Day. There’s also a walkathon organised by young members of our sanitation mission club.”

What: Symposium and Walkathon

Where: Sulabh Sansar, Mahavir Enclave, Palam-Dabri Road

When: Today

Timing: 11 am

Nearest Metro Station: Dashrathpuri on the Magenta Line

Author tweets Anu_95m

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