“Trichirapalli District will be soon declared as open defecation free (ODF), District”-District Collector Mr.K.Rajamani.

District Collector K.Rajamani speaks among the participants in Vayalur

"The Open Defecation Free (ODF) mission is one of the components of has become a mass movement and Trichirapalli district is nearing Open Defecation Free (ODF), District" District Collector Mr.K.Rajamani said on Thursday, 5th October in beneficiaries and officials get together meeting. Ending open defecation shortly requires changing minds, not just to build latrines but to use them effectively by the households. The 150,000 women SHG members of the District should act swiftly and sharply to create awareness among the family members and the community as a whole about the ill effects of open Defecation and insist upon the construction and use of household toilets. The convergence of line department officials especially Rural Development officials, the Panchayat Secretaries are to play very vital role in the use of toilets in family and create Trichy as open defecation free (ODF), District. Mr.K.Rajmani, District Collector further said that Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities are to be strengthened in the village level to create awareness on Open Defecation villages Eliminating

Participants of awareness building on Sanitation

open defecation is hugely important for the long-term growth of India  and the development of its human capital. Mr.K.Rajmani insisted that he would visit the villages and inspect them for completion of the construction of toilets as well as the use of these toilets in the villages of Trichi District and We need to systematically and periodically collect data on toilet usage rather than just toilet construction, so we know how we are measuring up to the goal of eliminating open defecation by October end.

SEVAI Team taking Pledge on Sanitation

K.Govindaraju,Founder/Director, SEVAI earlier appreciated the initiatives taken by District Collector and his team in Trichy District and mentioned that Open defecation refers to the practice whereby people go out in fields, bushes, forests, open bodies of water, or other open spaces rather than using the toilet to defecate. Open defecation poses a serious threat to the health of children. The practice is the main reason for diarrheal deaths among children. Diarrhea and worm infection are two major health conditions that affect school-age children impacting their learning abilities. Open defecation also puts at risk the dignity of women.. Women feel constrained to relieve themselves only under the cover of dark for reasons of privacy to protect their dignity. One of the key requirements is to integrate Social and Behaviour Change Communication, Progress has also been made in creating awareness about the many benefits of toilets. Awareness campaigns, media exposure, and pressure from school-age children, are some of the drivers of this awareness. Project Director of DRDA, Ms.Malarvizhi, Project Officer,Mr.Babu  of Mahalir Thittam, SCOPE NGO Director M.Subburaman and officials and SHG members spoke on this occasion.

 In his speech the sanitation expert  Mr. SCOPE Subburaman mentioned that

SCOPE M.Subburaman

the absence of toilets remains one of the leading causes of illness and death among children.Safe technology option means no contamination of surface soil, ground water or surface water; excreta inaccessible to flies or animals; no handling of fresh excreta; and freedom from odour and unsightly condition. The reality of people relieving themselves in public is one of the clearest indications of sanitation crisis. The unpleasant reality of open defecation suggests our need to be aware of the effects on public, global, and environmental health and the potential of the worldwide spread of preventable diseases.The diarrhea, a disease often associated with poor sanitary conditions, and respiratory infections resulting from poor hygiene, kill about thousands of children under the age of five annually. These deaths are largely preventable with improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene.-Kris