core sector communique

National Conference on Sanitation and Drinking Water

A Conference of State Ministers of Rural Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation will be held here tomorrow to review the progress made in the implementation of the two flagship programmes of the Ministry namely National Rural Drinking Water Programme and Total Sanitation Campaign. The conference will be inaugurated by the Minister of Rural Development and Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Shri Jairam Ramesh. The aim of the Conference is to up-scale achievements and share innovative best practices and models, both in terms of programme implementation and technology. A senior official in the Ministry said that the concerted action is taken in strengthening the programmes to achieve provision of safe drinking water supply and sustainable sanitation facilities in all rural areas. Addressing the meeting of the State Secretaries today, the Secretary, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Vilasini Ramachandran said that there is need for taking up the sanitation issues on a mission mode fashion. She underlined that the role of women self help groups is very important both in terms of creating awareness and achieving the target of total sanitation. She also laid stress on the IEC( Information, Education and Communication)campaign to create real demands for individual household latrines.