National Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Awareness Week From March 16 to 22

The National Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Awareness Week launched by the Center, focuses the awareness in villages on use of toilets and safe handling of water.

The National Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Awareness Week launched by the Center on March 16, at Kankrola-Bhanglora village of Gurgaon District in Haryana.

Shri Birender Singh, Union Minister for Rural Development , Drinking Water and Sanitation and Panchayati Raj, inaugurated the campaign. Commemorating the celebration of World Water Day on March 22, the campaign will conclude at Kohima, Nagaland.

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The focus of the awareness campaign will be on construction and use of household toilets, keeping villages clean, safe handling and use of drinking water, water conservation, awareness of quality of drinking water. community managed water supply systems in rural areas in institutions like Village Water and Sanitation Committees, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Angwanwadi , ASHA Workers, schools teachers, Women Self Help Groups and Youth Clubs.

The function was attended by Union Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Shri Ram Kripal Yadav and Shri Rao Narbir Singh, Minister for Public Health Engineering and Public Works Department of Haryana Government and senior officials of the Central and State Governments.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Birender Singh laid stress on building and use of toilets. He also participated in a padyatra along with other Ministers and senior officials organized with participation of school children, who will be the messengers to spread the message to rural population. Five villages were also awarded with Nirmal Gram Puraskar on this occasion. Other speakers also emphasized on sanitation and judicious use of water.

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Ten Swachhata Raths and mobile water quality testing vans were dispatched to various parts of the districts to create awareness among the rural masses. Similar programmes were also organized in other parts of the country. This programme is being carried out across the country in all panchayats involving Ministries of Rural Development, Health & Family Welfare, Panchayati Raj, Women & Child Development among others.