Harpic Mission Paani World Toilet Day Event Pledges ‘Clean Water, Sustainable Sanitation’

by EVENTFAQS Bureau Industry Watch | November 24, 2021 | News

On the occasion of World Toilet Day on 19 November 2021, Harpic’s ongoing CSR initiative Mission Paani launched what it billed as India’s first-ever ‘Sanitation for All Pledge and Preamble: Clean Water, Sustainable Sanitation’.

The sanitation pledge has been written by lyricist Kausar Munir and is endorsed by Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission.

The launch at the ‘Mission Paani Sanitation Forum’ in the presence of Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also saw five prominent Indian women in attendance – lyricist Munir, hockey player Savita Punia, cricketer Smriti Mandhana, para athlete and table tennis player Bhavina Patel and Olympian boxer Lovlina Borgohain.

‘101 Stories of Inspiration’, a coffee table book compiled by the Integrated Health and Wellbeing Council and endorsed by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, was launched.

During the event, Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla said, "I congratulate News18 and Mission Paani for connecting the entire country with this important mission. Access to clean water and toilets are not just necessities but also a basic right of citizens. It is extremely important that after 75 years of Independence, we work together to give safe water and toilets to every home in the country. India will only be healthy if it has clean drinking water and clean air to breathe. The government has launched several missions to achieve these goals but larger public participation and collaborations are must to achieve success. The government has adopted the mission of Mahatma Gandhi and all public representatives should collectively campaign for clean cities and clean India.”

Minister Shekhawat said, "The Prime Minister of India had set a target of making the country open defecation-free and we are proud that we achieved the target 11 years ahead of the target set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This is just a step that we have reached towards our mission of a clean and healthy India. A lot of work is being done in rural areas in liquid and solid waste management. Every citizen should pledge to work towards sanitation and access to safe water so that we can walk together towards making a new India."

Gaurav Jain, Senior Vice President, South Asia, Reckitt, said, “Reckitt’s fight, is to make access to the highest quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment a right, and not a privilege. Today, on World Toilet Day, we are reinforcing our commitment to create an ecosystem to enable access to water supply and sanitation provision which are essential to eradicate poverty. We are bringing the country together to take a pledge to uphold India’s first-ever Preamble for safe water and sanitation. Safe water and safer toilets mean a healthier nation; this must emerge as one of the most critical human rights components in the country’s development narrative.”

Actor and campaign ambassador for Mission Paani, Akshay Kumar, added, “In the last few years, India has made rapid progress in improving sanitation and ending open defecation across the country. But still a significant population does not have access to toilets and clean drinking water. I am glad that through the Mission Paani initiative, Reckitt and Network18 Group are trying to push for a behavioural change by making us take the sanitation pledge. A lack of sanitation not only impacts health but also holds back economic growth. It is imminent for all of us to support this initiative and take the message to a larger number of people, especially in rural India.”

Avinash Kaul, Chief Executive Officer, Network18 and Managing Director, A + E Networks, TV18, said, “With the sanitation for all pledge, we aim to bring together people from all walks of life, including policy makers and celebrities, to join the campaign for improving sanitation and access to clean water and toilets across the country. Being the largest news network in India, it’s also our responsibility to drive action led conversations around this very critical subject that impacts the health of millions.”

As a part of Mission Paani, six World Toilet Colleges were curated in 2021. Harpic now plans to have 15 colleges spread across India. These World Toilet Colleges will benefit over 2 lakh sanitation workers and their extended families, informed an official statement.