Chandigarh, Sep 22 (IANS) A sanitation campaign launched in Haryana nearly five years ago mainly to eradicate the practice of open defecation has achieved over 80 percent success, a senior state government official said here Wednesday.
At a meeting here, officials presented the figures of the targets achieved so far in the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC).
They said that Haryana has been able to achieve targets of 84 percent, 80 percent, 79 percent and 81 percent in the areas of individual household toilets, school toilets, Anganwadi toilets and women sanitary complexes, respectively.
Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati reviewed the performance of the TSC during the meeting. She expressed her satisfaction at the targets achieved so far in nearly five years.
It was decided in the meeting to include sanitation-related topics in the syllabus of schoolchildren in the state.
Gulati said that community participation was essential for behavioural change and directed that women, children and youth be involved in the project along with elected representatives of panchayati raj institutions in the implementation of TSC.
‘School-centric interventions are also of paramount importance for behavioural changes towards sanitation practices among children which would empower them to lead a healthy life,’ Gulati said.
Scores of villages across Haryana have shown success in implementing the TSC. Open defecation has been banned in these villages and toilets have been made available to residents.
The TSC is a comprehensive programme, guided by the union rural development ministry, to ensure sanitation facilities in rural areas with the broader goal to eradicate the practice of open defecation.
The TSC as a part of reform principles was initiated by the federal government in 1999 when the central rural sanitation programme was restructured making it demand-driven and people-centred. It follows a principle of ‘low to no subsidy’ where a nominal subsidy in the form of incentive is given to rural poor households for construction of toilets.
