The community toilet will house 22 toilet seats including 10 toilets for men, 10 toilets for women, 1 toilet for children and 1 will be disabled friendly.
IndiaCSR News Network
THANE: 597 million people in India do not have access to toilets. About 22 million girls do not have access to a separate toilet facility in school. Habitat for Humanity India is working in 18 states of India to change this scenario.
A global non-profit organization, Habitat for Humanity India builds homes and sanitation units for the low income, marginalised people and has now joined hands with Thane Municipal Corporation to build toilets in the city. Habitat for Humanity India will build 10 community toilets at Sathye Wadi, Thane providing sanitation facilities for more than 600 people. The community toilet will house 22 toilet seats including 10 toilets for men, 10 toilets for women, 1 toilet for children and 1 will be disabled friendly.
Apart from building the toilets, Habitat for Humanity India will also involve the local community and run the behaviour change communication program to spread awareness about the importance of hygiene, sanitation and the ill effects of open defecation.
Open defecation adversely affects the health of the entire society. Habitat for Humanity India believes that everyone should have access to a decent home, sanitation. Over the years, Habitat for Humanity India has built 42,585 toilets across India and in Thane district alone, Habitat has built 331 toilets for underprivileged families. Habitat for Humanity India believes in Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and is committed to realise the vision of ending open defecation by 2019. As part of Government’s drive towards promoting smart cities, it is imperative that all stakeholders work towards the goal to attain open defecation free India.
Rajan Samuel, Managing Director of Habitat for Humanity India said, “The practice of open defecation is a national concern and we as a society must make it unacceptable. We need to provide better sanitation facilities to the people especially for the bottom of the pyramid section of the society. We also need to mobilise the communities, work closely with them to change their mind set and ensure ownership because just constructing toilets will not be enough. Habitat builds homes, sanitation units for people across 18 states of India and our Behaviour Change Communication program works closely with the local communities to raise awareness about sanitation and hygiene. Habitat for Humanity India is happy to partner with the Thane Municipal Corporation to build community toilets for the slum dwellers to offer them better sanitation facilities.”
Samuel observed that in a country where 597 million of its citizens defecate in the open, it is imperative that the government and non-government organizations, corporate world and citizens work together to create better sanitation infrastructure and give them an opportunity to live with dignity.
Habitat for Humanity India signed the MOU with the Thane Municipal Corporation in the month of October 2015 and plans to build more sanitation units and homes for the low income families in the city.
Sanjeev Jaiswal, Thane Municipal Commissioner said, “I thank Habitat for Humanity India for considering our request and partnering with the Thane Municipal Corporation to build community toilets in the city. They have done great work in the areas of housing, sanitation and water. We look forward to a long term partnership with them to be able to provide better facilities and infrastructure to the people. Population growth in cities like Thane and Mumbai is one of the highest in the country and getting land is the major problem. I am really thankful to all the people of Sathe Wadi who volunteered to make the land available for the project. Till the project gets completed, we will arrange mobile toilet units for the people of Sathe Wadi.”
Habitat for Humanity India’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that housing provides a critical foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty, Habitat for Humanity India works with low-income, marginalized families to build homes, to provide housing-related services and to raise awareness for adequate housing and sanitation. Since its inception in 1983, Habitat for Humanity India has touched the lives of over 5,00,000 individuals across 18 states of our country by fulfilling their dream of living in a safe and a decent home. HFH India’s long term strategic goal is to impact the lives of 25,00,000 individuals by 2020. The core area of Habitat’s work includes shelter assistance, sanitation and disaster risk reduction and response.
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