Years after Central government’s unique initiative “No
toilets, no brides”, residents of 110 villages from three
neighbouring States ” Haryana, Punjab and Himachal
Pradesh ” resolved to go swachh to inculcate healthy habits
and curb open defecation. Led by around 100 ulemas and
maulanas, the participants, mostly from the Muslim community,
decided to launch an awareness campaign as part of the
Swachh Bharat mission. Around 1,200 villagers unanimously
decided not to marry their daughters into households which
did not have toilets. Open defecation is not only an unhygienic
habit, but also often leads to crime against women.
Goa, known for being a tourism destination, hit by a
long-pending garbage issue, is yet to seriously address the
issue, although the objectives are different from Haryana or
Punjab. Most of the slum inhabitants, including those of Zuarinagar,
have been constantly exposing the shabby side of
the State. Open defecation has also been rampant at several
hutments and construction sites dotting the State. Although
CM Laxmikant Parsekar had made known his intentions to
make Goa the first State to ban open defecation, nothing has
changed since he flagged off the issue during Gandhi Jayanti
last year. Parsekar admitted there is ample scope to keep the
land clean. He said there are few points in Goa where toilets
are yet to be set up and once it is done, open defecation would
cease to exist. It’s now time to set up a new government and
Goans will have to patiently wait for the new dispensation to
take up the ‘clean up’ job.
