Hamara Shauchalay: Hamara Samman”Campaign launched On World Toilet Day

The Government of India has launched a three-week campaign, “Hamara Shauchalay: Hamara Samman,” on the occasion of World Toilet Day on 19 November 2024. The campaign will end on 10 December 2024, on the occasion of Human Rights Day. The end of the campaign on Human Rights Day symbolises the powerful link between sanitation, human rights, and an individual's dignity.

Which Ministry has launched the Campaign?

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, has launched the three-week Hamara Shauchalay: Hamara Samman. The responsibility for implementing the  Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen component of the Swachh Bharat Mission lies with the  Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide  sanitation campaign on 15 August 2014, and the Swachh Bharat Mission was formally launched on 2 October 2014 

Swachh Bharat Mission is being implemented in both rural and urban areas, respectively called  Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen and Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban.

Union Ministry for Housing and Urban Affairs is the nodal agency that implements the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban.

Aim of the Hamara Shauchalay: Hamara Samman Campaign 

• The campaign will affirm the country’s commitment to behavioural change regarding sanitation.
• Maintaining the country’s Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status and achieving the Phase II  goal of the Swachh Bharat Mission(Grameen).
• In 2019, Phase II of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) was launched.
• It focuses on total Sampoorn Swachhata—sustaining the ODF status, managing solid and liquid waste by 2024-25, and transforming all the villages from ODF to ODF Plus Model.
• The campaign will focus on empowering vulnerable groups, especially women and girls, and will involve all stakeholders from village panchayat to State levels.

World Toilet Day 

The first Toilet Day was observed in 2001 by the World Toilet Organisation. 

In 2013, the United Nations adopted 19 November as the World Toilet Day. 

World Toilet Day celebrates the importance of toilets and sanitation and seeks to raise global awareness about people without access to safely managed sanitation and the need to take action to solve this problem.

The Day also raises awareness worldwide to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

Theme of the World Toilet Day 2024

The United Nations agency UN Water selects the annual World Toilet Day theme.

The theme for the 2024 World Toilet Day is ‘Sanitation for Peace.’