CHIMPU/NAHAR-LAGUN, Nov 19: World Toilet Day was celebrated at Chimpu and at the Itanagar Municipal Council (IMC) office in Naharlagun by officers, students, teachers and members of the public on Monday.
Capital Complex Deputy Commissioner Prince Dhawan flagged of a rally from the government higher secondary school to the middle school in Chimpu. Dhawan, along with officers and officials from the PHE department, students and others, also participated in it.
“As the capital complex has been declared open defecation-free at both the urban and the rural level, it is our moral responsibility to maintain this status,” he said.
The DC also spoke on the hazards of open defecation, and highlighted the advantages of sanitation and personal hygiene.
He informed that the administration and the PHED have carried out repair and maintenance of water supply and toilets in every school of the capital complex.
The DC administered the swachhta pledge to the students to maintain hygiene and to stop open defecation.
PHED SE Tayum Tok spoke about the relevance of the day, and explained the health and environmental hazards associated with open defecation.
PHED EE Tadar Mangku also spoke.
The DC distributed dustbins under the solid liquid waste management initiative, and explained how to use them.
Chimpu Women Welfare Society president Tamchi Kumar submitted a three-point memorandum to the DC.
The DC, the SE and the EE also distributed certificates to the winners of essay and drawing competitions, along with the best swacchagiri award to Tadar Cheke, the best consultant award to Tadar Tang, and the best performing JE in SBG (G) award to Ngurang Karuh.
The IMC also organized a rally, which saw the participation of students and public.
ADC Devansh Yadav urged students and teachers to spread the message of swachhta to every individual, and administered the cleanliness pledge to the school children.
An essay and wall painting competition was organized for the students, and a short film titled Toilet Ek Prem Katha was screened.
Among others, the capital complex DDSE, the Naharlagun Bazaar Welfare Committee president, and officers and officials of IMC were present at the function.
The people of East Kameng district also observed World Toilet Day at Bana on Monday.
The PHE&WS department along with the district administration had launched the fortnightly celebration across the district at Lumdung on 9 November. Mass mobilization activities on cleanliness, health and sanitation at the village level were carried out across the district.
Speaking during the event, DC Gaurav Singh Rajawat urged everyone to promote and inculcate the habit of using sanitary toilets and live healthy hygienic life.
Emphasizing the importance of health, sanitation and cleanliness by ensuring community level participation, the DC called for making Swachch Bharat Mission more people-centric “rather than just construction of toilets,” and stressed on achieving the ODF status “in the true sense, not just for the status and numbers in target sheets.”
PHE&WSD EE Bharat Sonam briefed the gathering about the objectives of World Toilet Day, and elaborated the significance of sanitation and access to safe and clean toilets.
Former PRI leaders, officials and members of the public who extended their services for the promotion of SBA and ODF were felicitated with trophies and certificates during the event, and the swachhta pledge was taken by all.
The event also featured a demonstration on the use of compost pit, septic tank and dustbins, and on ways to segregate and dispose of different kinds of wastes.
EAC Pooza Sonam Natung, HoDs, GBs, students and others also took active participation in the whole event. (DIPROs)