New Delhi: Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation will organize a global sanitation convention to mark the beginning of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi, also coinciding with the fourth anniversary of the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission.
Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention (MGISC) will be a 4-day international conference that will bring together Sanitation Minsters and other leaders in WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) from around the world. A host of national and international dignitaries are slated to attend the event, for which preparations are under way. The Convention will culminate on 2nd October, Gandhi Jayanti, which is also celebrated as the Swachh Bharat Diwas. Several mass mobilisation events and campaigns are being planned across the States in the run up to this Day.
India aims to eliminate open defecation by October 2nd, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who held sanitation very close to his heart. Rural sanitation coverage has made ground-breaking progress, from 39% in October 2014, at the start of SBM, to over 92% today, with behaviour change being the key focus of implementation. The success of the Swachh Bharat Mission will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the global achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6.2), i.e. to achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all. Simultaneously, coordinated efforts are in place to improve sanitation levels in all sectors and all public places. The global Convention will be aimed at sharing sanitation success stories and lessons across all participating countries.
