Tata Power, India’s well known integrated power company, has always been at the forefront of improving the quality of healthcare and standard of living of the communities living in and around its areas of operations. In line with this philosophy, Tata Power’s Community Development Trust (TPCDT) in Haldia worked with the local government bodies to build toilets for the communities, thereby, making the surrounding villages Open Defecation Free (ODF).
The objective of this initiative was to promote the use of toilets and put a halt on the practice of open defecation, thereby, sensitising the community on various health and hygiene related issues caused due to sheer negligence on the matter. While support for construction toilets came from Government subsidies, the TPCDT team raised mass awareness around the need for toilets and overall wellbeing through intervention programs, home visits, and SHG sensitisation programs. Khanpur is one such village where 90% people go for open defecation, and where the TPCDT team worked with the different stakeholders viz village panchayat, teachers, SHG members and sensitised the locals to curb open defecation practices. In all Government has sanctioned the project of constructing household toilets in 195 houses in Khanpur, of which 30 toilets have already been constructed with their support.
Abhijit Ain Das, Chief, Haldia Station, said, “We at Haldia division always respond to the need of our surrounding communities and work towards their holistic development. Stopping the practice of open defecation is the need of the hour. Through mobilising the Govt. Programme, Haldia TPCDT team not only ensured that the facilities come to the door step of the community people but, at the same time, also demonstrated how a programme could be implemented with minimum resources. We will work harder to ensure more Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages in the coming days”.
