Delhiites to queue up outside toilets to spread sanitation message

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Realising that simply talking about an issue is of little help, an NGO here has gathered the support of scores of people in resettlement colonies to stand in queues in front of public toilets to draw the government's attention to the lack of proper sanitation in the capital.

Ahead of World Water Day Monday, WaterAid India has asked people to stand in queues in front of public toilets at three places in the capital to highlight the serious shortage of toilets here.

"In India, 638 million people or sixty percent of the population defecate in the open. This is not by choice or habit but because of lack of access to toilets. In urban India, 18 percent people practice open defecation and in rural areas 69 percent. Globally, 1.1 billion people practice open defecation," Indira Khurana of WaterAid India said.

"This is a major threat to public health. To highlight the issue of sanitation at all levels, civil society groups from across the world are participating in the World's Longest Toilet Queue. In India, we along with our partner NGOs are organising parallel toilet queues in 10 states besides Delhi," she added.

In Delhi, the campaign is on at Jungpura, Najafgarh and Vasant Kunj.

ccording to WaterAid India, if the government has to meet its target of making India open-defecation free by March 31, 2012, it has to construct 54 toilets a minute non-stop until that time.

"According to official estimates, the ratio of toilets to the numer of people is 1:20. But in many places the ratio is 1:50 and in some 1:500. To highlight this gap, we have this campaign from March 20-22," Khurana said.

World's Longest Toilet Queue is a global mobilization campaign to demand action from local, national and international political leaders. The queue is for pushing politicians to prioritise water and sanitation by committing aid and resources at the first high-level meeting on water and sanitation next month in Washington DC.