Despite progress, 12% of world still defecates in open: UNICEF chief
New Delhi, Oct 1 : UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore on Monday broke inspiring news ahead of Mahatma Gandhis 150th birth year that India has driven the greatest increase in the use of toilets in South Asia "at any time in history" over the last decade with over 240 million people using them after abandoning open defecation.
The biggest contribution in this progress was by India with as many as 86 million rural households since 2014 having gained access to toilets for the first time. "Five lakh villages and hundreds of districts and 21 states and union territories are now open-defecation free," said Fore, who is on her maiden visit to India.
She was delivering the keynote address at the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention. As many as 70 countries are participating in the four-day event, which began at the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra here, on September 30.
The UNICEF chief said the overall progress made by several countries was inspiring. "We're also seeing rapid results in Indonesia, Ethiopia, Nepal and Cambodia - all on track to eliminating open defecation by 2030. Or even earlier," she pointed out.
"Or Nigeria, Kenya, Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo and Mozambique - all have national roadmaps to deliver total access to sanitation, no matter where people live, no matter how distant or hard-to-reach their community might be," Fore noted with satisfaction.
In all, since 1990, 2.1 billion people globally have gained access to improved sanitation facilities. "A great result. One that improves health and nutrition outcomes for children, empowers women, boosts economic prosperity and growth for entire nations," Fore said.
The UNICEF chief, however, warned that this was still no time to celebrate.
"As we mark this progress, we must face a difficult fact: without urgent acceleration of our efforts, many countries will not reach the 2030 goal of sanitation for all.
"Especially when one in three people - 2.3 billion in all - still lack even a basic sanitation service. When 12 per cent of the world's population still practices open defecation. Or when nearly one quarter of all schools worldwide lack basic sanitation - risking the health and the lives of over 620 million children," she said.
"This is obviously a tragedy for the people affected. The children in rural areas or urban slums who have no choice but to practise open defecation because their communities lack basic services. Those who risk poor health and disease. Those children who are stunted by malnutrition in the earliest years. Or the girls who are denied an education because their schools lack separate toilets, or proper sanitation."
As always, the poorest and most disadvantaged are hardest hit. Lack of sanitation unfairly puts them at greater risk of disease and even death. "We also know that 90 per cent of those still practicing open defecation around the world live in 26 specific countries."
Fore said besides the human and social costs of poor sanitation, there was a huge economic cost involved. "According to the World Bank, poor sanitation results in an estimated global GDP loss of $260 billion annually, because of health costs and productivity losses."
She said the benefits of improved sanitation were significant.
"A recent study by the government of India found that within open-defecation free environments, households can save up to 50,000 rupees per year thanks to medical costs averted and time saved."
She announced that UNICEF had evolved "a specific, time-bound target: by 2021, our goal is to have 250 million fewer people practicing open defecation. This means improving sanitation in all the countries where we work - and we're committed to this."
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
