According to an article entitled “G-8 nations must lead efforts to combat global water and sanitation crisis; UN report”, published in UN News service Newsletter dated 19.11.2007, each year 1.8 million children die from diarrhoea that could be prevented with access to clean water and a toilet.

National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) Government of India has initiated an Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) in November, 2004, to strengthen surveillance activities and to promote early detection of outbreak and to institute appropriate action for prevention and control of communicable diseases including Acute Diarrrhoeal Diseases (ADD).

IDSP is being implemented in phased manner to cover 32 states/UTs, with NICD as the nodal agency for capacity building and supervision of the programme.

So far, the Act of 1993 has been adopted by 20 States and all UTs. 5 States Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim have reported that there are no dry latrines or they are scavengers free. 2 States of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh have enacted their own Act. The State of Jammu & Kashmir is yet to adopt the Act.

The State Government of Jammu and Kashmir have been impressed upon time and again to adopt the Act.

This information was given by the Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss in a reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

Source-PIB
LIN/P