DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 20 (MExN): The National Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Awareness Week, from February 20 to 25, is being conducted by the Public Health Engineering Department in all districts of Nagaland state. The awareness week is an initiative of the Ministry of Rural Health and Sanitation to emphasize on the importance of safe water and sanitation facilities.
A press note from the Nagaland PHED stated that across India, especially in rural areas, there is low awareness on safe drinking water, water conservation and sanitation hazards like open defecation, child excreta disposal and hand washing. PHED, through its vision statement, strives to promote sustainable and safe drinking water and environmental hygiene for ensuring the good health of all inhabitants of the state.
The World Health Organisation notes that 80% of all diseases in developing countries are water and excreta related. 1500 children die every day in India due to diarrheal diseases, according to the WHO. It adds that by introducing hand washing with soap before meals and after defecation, diarrhoeal morbidity and child mortality is reduced by 50% and 55% respectively.
All districts of the state will conduct awareness programmes during the week to create awareness on safe drinking water and sanitation. The awareness week is striving to create conducive conditions for people, thereby enabling them inculcate the habit of cleanliness as a way of life.
It also seeks to provide information on the need to use safe drinking water. The PHED note stated that use of unsafe water, with chemical and bacterial contaminants can cause sicknesses like diarrhea, fever, typhoid etc., while prolonged exposure to unsafe water can cause immune, neurological, reproductive problems. In order to enable people to test their drinking water, the state PHED has established water testing facilities in all the districts, it was informed.
It added that sanitation is not only providing toilet facilities but consists of seven components: safe handling of drinking water, safe disposal of liquid wastes, solid wastes, human excreta, proper hone and food hygiene, personal hygiene and surrounding sanitation.
A simple example of hygienic Safe handling of drinking water is to use clean utensil for collection and storage and also covering containers with boiled or treated water meant for drinking, it added.
