Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday cautioned that with the flattening of the Covid pandemic curve, people should not lower their guard and should continue with the practice of washing hands frequently.
Virtually addressing the national ‘WASH Conclave-2022’, the Vice President said that children should grow up in an environment that is healthy – physically and emotionally.
“Preventive healthcare measures such as safe water, sanitation, and hygienic practices begin from anganwadis and primary schools,” he said. He underlined the importance of basic amenities like safe drinking water and sanitation in preventing diseases and contributing towards the overall well-being of people and Naidu cautioned that with the flattening of the Covid pandemic curve, people should not lower their guard and should continue with the practice of washing hands frequently.
Observing that taking forward the WASH agenda to Gram Panchayats is critical, Naidu stressed the need to ensure institutional strengthening of the Panchayats for effective service delivery to the last mile.
“This is a key aspect of governance which I always emphasize –efficient last-mile delivery of services in every field — holds the key to fast-tracking all-around development,” he said.
The Vice President noted that as a nation, we need to ensure that every household gets all the basic facilities – the most essential of them being WASH-related and this can be realized only if a vast array of players join hands with singular focus and determination.
The Vice President observed that in many Indian languages the word water is associated with ‘jeevan, which means life’.
Quoting the oft-repeated sentence ‘Jal hi Jeevan hai’, Naidu said, “Our forefathers saw the underlying truth behind this statement centuries ago — we have, therefore, for millennia, worshipped life-giving rivers across the length and breadth of this vast country.”
Calling the adequate amount of safe drinking water for every rural household as a basic necessity, Naidu said that India is making considerable progress in this regard.
He called for further fast-tracking and bestowing greater attention to all aspects relating to WASH facilities in both rural and urban areas.
The three-day virtual conclave on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) is being organized by the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), Hyderabad in association with the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, UNICEF, and other development partners.
