Surguja district bags first prize for sustainability of sanitation
   Date :20-Nov-2020

T S Singhdeo_1  
 Panchayat and Rural Development Minister T S Singhdeo and Principal Secretary Gaurav Dwivedi
virtually at the award ceremony.
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
RAIPUR
 
Surguja district bagged the first prize for its achievements in sustainability of sanitation and promoting menstrual hygiene, plastic-free gram panchayats and construction of community toilets. The first prize carries a cash incentive of Rs 1 crore and a certificate. Surguja district, in the past, had received several national awards for open-defecation free status and school sanitation.
 
The Rajya Swachata awards are given to individuals, gram panchayats, blocks and districts which perform well in different areas of sanitation. The awards are in 14 areas like menstrual hygiene, plastic-free initiative, community toilet, waste segregation, ODF sustainability, innovation in sanitation, toilet for people with disabilities and third gender, biogas plants and swachagrahi samoohs. This is the first time that such awards are given at state level. Giving away the awards, to mark the World Toilet Day, Minister for Panchayat and Rural Development and Health and family welfare T S Singhdeo emphasized the need for functional toilet and hand-washing facilities in all schools, anganwadi centres and health centres in the state. He said, “We need to ensure 100 percent use of menstrual hygiene protective material by women.
 
In India, about 38 percent of women use unsafe clothes during the menstrual period and in Chhattisgarh the situation is not different. Besides, the correct knowledge and practices on menstrual hygiene are critical for the health of girls and women.” The Minister interacted with the award winners to understand what inspired them, sustainability aspects of community toilets, management of waste, segregation centres and leadership of sarpanches and women swacchagrahis.
 
Job Zachariah, Chief of UNICEF Chhattisgarh applauded the State Government for its pioneering work in the construction of special toilets for persons with disabilities and the third gender. Gaurav Dwivedi, Principal Secretary of Panchayat and Rural Development department said that the awards are a unique initiative of the department to promote and inspire people working on sanitation at the grass-root level. Dharmesh Sahu (Mission Director Swachh Bharat Mission) and Sweta Patnaik (UNICEF), District Collectors and CEOs of various districts, sarpanches, attended the online meeting, among others.