Vigorously pushing the agenda of clean drinking water and sanitation, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said investment in these sectors is as important as investing in defence.
“Investment in (drinking) water supply and sanitation is a matter of urgent priority. It is as important as investing in defence,” Mr. Ramesh, who is also the in-charge of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, said.
“You can invest in missiles and tanks, in aircraft, but if you don’t have clean drinking water, if you don’t have sanitation, then the population is not going to be healthy.
“The more we invest in clean drinking water, the more we invest in sanitation, the better health, people will have,” he told reporters after the second meeting of the National Drinking Water and Sanitation Council here.
On the idea of utilising the service of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers affiliated to NRHM to promote health awareness, Mr. Ramesh said, “This is a source that we should tap into in order to promote greater awareness and sensitivity to hygiene and sanitation issues...Ultimately there is no distinction between health and sanitation. Better sanitation leads to improved health.”
An ASHA worker is a village woman, preferably in the age group of 25 to 45 years, trained in the area of health.
Mr. Ramesh, whose remarks that “women demand mobile phones, they are not demanding toilets” created a controversy last week, said the government is chalking out a plan to take the help of eight lakh women volunteers, affiliated to NRHM, to promote awareness on sanitation.
There are eight lakh ASHA volunteers who are working in six lakh villages, Mr. Ramesh said.
Citing the outbreak of water-borne diseases like cholera, diarrhoea and cancer risks from arsenic in drinking water in several places, the minister said, “One of the mistakes we have made is to look at health, water supply and sanitation as separate sectors.”
“There is no distinction between health, water supply and sanitation...Cleaner the water, safer the sanitation and healthier the population,” he said.
Observing that arsenic the “single biggest issue” in water quality, Mr. Ramesh said water quality will be the focus of the ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation when it gets additional resources in the upcoming Union Budget.
Arsenic has been found large parts of West Bengal, Assam and Bihar, he said.
Keywords: sanitation, potable water, Jairam Ramesh, civic issues, NRHM
Jairam Ramesh and other Ministers in Union govt. must be appreciated for their truthful utterances & good work they are doing especially after defeat in UP elections. India needs more toilets, Potable water supply systems besides Cell phones. Trash-free and Green India only can improve our image.
The most awaited and sensible thought a lawmaker has given to a problem which has been neglected even by so called "stalwarts " like Nehru.
Hon Ramesh's criticism is highly commendable, and I hope he will pay serous attention to the issue of sanitation. One aspect he should start is demanding hygenic disposal of human feces in the railwys , instead of a hole. with the increased number of trains, the whole railway tracks and stations emit fowl smell alover the country.
it is a shame with all the resources, if Railways can't do it, how any one can suggest sanitation issue to the rural folks??? may be Sri ramesh should start right at the Delhi with his colleague at the Ministry of railways!! take care of your own house before you start preaching!!
Everything related to health must be the topmost priority. Getting armaments may be necessary, but I don't think any country will wage a war against India now. China, a half century ago, and Pakistan are the only countries to have done so. The real situation in India is that the people are getting weaker in health affecting their performance levels. Leave alone Cricket, has this country of 1.2 billion people achieved anything in the athletic and sports field? Poor children have stunted growth, while the rich ones suffer from obesity. Poor sanitation takes a heavy toll. Something must be done urgently to tackle the problem.
For the first time after the death of Gandhi, some one is speaking the truth. Ramesh
should be supported by all right thinking people instead of distorting what he said
about women demanding mobile phones.
Really this issue remained ignored. Lack of public toilets are compulsion to defecate & urinate in the open & cause of more diseases in women as they cann't do like men. Public toilets are the indicators of culture the society observes. Norms for providing public toilets for different localities should be laid which are not existing. Singapore is provided with one unit per 75 persons.
Merely constructing is not answer to the problem, maintenance is more important. Poorly maintained conveniences are abondened very shortly.
Budget should keep provision & maintenence to alleviate the powerety.
All public places,Hospitals,railway trains & platforms, educational institutions.Markets, courts,Play grounds, & Parks etc should be considered as top priority as recently Honourable Supreme Court has directed to provide water & sanitation in all schools before 31st December 2011. Different High courts like Delhi, have issued directions to provide public toilets but urban local bodies failed
Hats off to Shri Jairam Ramesh. I suggest that he may please request Union Finance Minister to come up with a Scheme providing 10-15 years Tax Free bond with a nominal interest of 8% OR 100% rebate on contribution for purposes of Income Tax. I and my family members would be one of the first come with Rs.1 lakh contribution.
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