India is shining. Indian scientists have successfully sent spaceship to Mars and a metro city in India is no less that any other of its kind in any part of the world. But what about rural India? What about the villages which hold most of the Indian population? People are still leading a primitive life in most of the villages, especially in Maharashtra, Orissa, West Bengal, and some some southern states.
The problem which is weakening our country in every sphere, indirectly or directly, is the problem of open toilets. We’ve stepped into the space but still we can’t ensure a clean, sanitized toilet for each and every home. It’s a national shame. Little kids, young women are becoming victims of this unhygienic practice. Open defecation is giving rise to various diseases thereby increasing the child mortality rate. Those who are surviving, are suffering from poor physical conditions. If a greater part of the population in vulnerable to diseases and are forced to live an unhealthy life, a country can never develop further.
Let’s consider the case of Babli, a little girl from any of the insignificant villages of India. She has to wake up even before the sunrise everyday. Because she, along with her mother, goes to the nearby field to attend nature’s call. They have to go so early as they find it beyond their dignity and modesty to perform those chores in front of other male population. But this practice is really unsafe. Last year, during the rainy season, Babli lost one of her elder cousins. She went out in the early morning to defecate and died due to snake-bite.
Babli goes to the local school which is 10 kilometers away. Even in the school there is no proper toilet. She finds it really humiliating when occasionally she and her friends have to use the field nearby. They have to go in groups so that some of them can form a sort of guard using their dupattas. But why the condition is so bad? Babli thinks sometimes. Why no one is understanding the importance of good hygiene and proper sanitation? A clean toilet can be a solution to so many problems. They don’t have to make the fields filthy with faeces. The excrement, scattered along the field, will no longer be an open source of diseases. The terrible smell will not be a torment any more.
Babli knows that in this way they are polluting the ponds, rivers and lakes too. During the rainy season, almost all people in her village suffer from diarrhea and other intestinal diseases. This is because the rainwater carries those excrement and make them flow down to local ponds and lakes thereby contaminating them. As there are not many source of water in the village, they’ve to use those contaminated water for household purposes, if not for drinking. Is there no one who could help in some way to get rid of this situation?
DOMEX has understand the plight of millions of Bablis and therefore has launched a programme named Domex Toilet Academy or DTA. Under this programme, Domex has taken the resolution to build 24000 toilets by 2015 in the villages of Maharashtra and Orissa. Such initiative is really praiseworthy and it’s our duty to spread their voice everywhere through blogging.
We wish Domex all success in this wonderful initiative. #ToiletForBabli is of utmost importance than anything else.
P.S. You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.
This post is written for the Indiblogger Happy-Hours as a part of the Domex#ToiletForBabli Campaign in association with Domex and Indiblogger.
anilasnook 