Surat, 19th November 2024: On the occasion of World Toilet Day, a meeting of the District Water and Sanitation Mission was held at the District Panchayat office under the chairmanship of District Development Officer, Mrs. Shivani Goyal. The meeting focused on improving sanitation and the importance of toilets in rural areas.
As part of the event, the best-performing village panchayats and individuals in the usage and maintenance of toilets were honored. The Sarpanchs of various panchayats, including Mrs. Madhuben Rathod (Hazira), Mrs. Kailasben Rathod (Vaswana), Mr. Dishant Patel (Barbodhan), and Mr. Ashokbhai Rathod (Sevni), were felicitated with certificates of appreciation by the District Development Officer. Additionally, individual toilet maintenance certificates were handed out to beneficiaries.
In his address, Mr. M.B. Prajapati, Director of the District Rural Development Agency, explained that from 19th November to 10th December, under the theme “Our Toilet, Our Pride,” an extensive campaign will be conducted in the district. The campaign aims to identify closed, unused individual and community toilets, repair and restore them to functional conditions, and address issues such as water supply, electricity connections, and cleanliness to make them operational again.
Furthermore, a special camp will be organized to identify the remaining beneficiaries for toilet construction in rural areas. In the second phase, between 20th November and 5th December, efforts will focus on upgrading existing toilets to modern standards, fixing leakages, painting, and introducing eco-friendly cleaning methods. Awareness programs will be organized to enhance the utility of toilets, including cleaning drives for Community Sanitation Centers (CSCs) and institutional toilets.
The meeting also included discussions on the management of rural water supply schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the delegation of tasks to SHG groups, and providing necessary permissions for water supply projects.
Officials from the District Rural Development Agency, WASH, ICDS, Water Supply, Health, Information, and Education departments were also present at the meeting.
