World Toilet Day 2022 observed on 19 November

World Toilet Day 2022:

The United Nations observes World Toilet Day on November 19 annually. The main aim is to raise public awareness of broader sanitation systems such as wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and hand washing. The 2022 campaign ‘Making the invisible visible’ explores how inadequate sanitation systems spread human waste into rivers, lakes and soil, polluting underground water resources.

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The central message of World Toilet Day 2022 is that safely managed sanitation protects groundwater from human waste pollution. Currently, the world is seriously off track to meet the promise of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2: to ensure safe toilets for all by 2030.

World Toilet Day 2022: Theme

The 2022 theme is ‘Making the Invisible Visible’ and explores how inadequate sanitation systems spread human waste into rivers, lakes and soil, polluting underground water resources.

World Toilet Day 2022: Key messages

• Safe sanitation protects groundwater. Toilets that are properly sited and connected to safely managed sanitation systems, collect, treat and dispose of human waste, and help prevent human waste from spreading into groundwater.
• Sanitation must withstand climate change. Toilets and sanitation systems must be built or adapted to cope with extreme weather events, so that services always function and groundwater is protected.
• Sanitation action is urgent. We are seriously off track to ensure safe toilets for all by 2030. With only eight years left, the world needs to work four times faster to meet our promise.

World Toilet Day: History

It was on this day in 2001 when Jack Sim, a philanthropist from Singapore founded the World Toilet Organization and declared the day as World Toilet Day. The efforts to draw attention to the sanitation crises were given focus by the UN in 2010 when they officially recognised the right to water and sanitation as human rights. In 2013, the Singapore Government and the World Toilet Organization collaborated to create Singapore’s UN resolution – Sanitation for all. This resolution urged group efforts to address the global sanitation crisis. Following the adoption of the resolution by 122 nations at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, World Toilet Day was designated as an official UN day.

World Toilet Day 2022: In India

The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) is organizing ‘Swachhta Run’ across rural India, to mark the World Toilet Day.

• States & UTs directed to conduct the “Swachhta Run” at the Gram Panchayat level to celebrate World Toilet Day, 2022
• Local elected representatives/sports persons/celebrities/influencers to flag off the “Swachhta Run” to commemorate World Toilet Day, 2022
• World Toilet Day held annually since 2013 to celebrate toilets and raises awareness for the people living without access to sanitation
• 2022 theme of ‘World Toilet Day’ is ‘Making the Invisible Visible’
• Day is about highlighting actions to tackle the global sanitation crisis
• Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) recognized as the world’s largest behavior change program
• Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) ‘Jal Andolan’ has transformed the lives of rural India populace

What is Swachh Bharat Mission?

The Swachh Bharat Mission has been recognized as the world’s largest behavior change program. It represents the influential force of peoples’ participation -‘Jal Andolan’, that transformed the lives of rural India populace in terms of social benefits, economic gains, environmental safety and most importantly dignity and security to women. The second phase of SBM focusses to build on this strong foundation of healthy behaviors and inform, educate and create action towards ODF plus. ‘Swachhta Run’ is one such action of engaging the masses for the same. The objective of the “Run” is to create awareness among people about importance of usage of toilet, safe sanitation and visual cleanliness aligned to SBM(G) phase II components.

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