Mission Swachhta Aur Paani Telethon | More Onus on Men to End Open Defecation: Parineeti Chopra

More responsibility rests on the shoulders of men towards ending open defecation in the country, actor Parineeti Chopra said on Saturday at Network18 & Harpic’s Mission Swachhta aur Paani telethon.

At the telethon, which marks both World Toilet Day and International Men’s Day, Chopra said men have to be part of the change towards the goal of sanitation and conversation of water.

The actor highlighted that the importance of public toilets carries more weight for women than for men. “Infrastructure is being provided to us but the citizens are not keeping up,” she said.

?I?m a citizen in progress. We have one life to live and there is so much to do. We shouldn?t be defined just by our work, just by our social media, just by our films,” she added.

Sharing the stage with Chopra, Ravi Bhatnagar, Director, External Affairs and Partnerships, Reckitt-South Asia said: “We?re sure that in times to come, behaviours are going to change, in the most difficult terrains also. Main theme this World Toilet Day is making the invisible, visible.”

Commenting on the success of the campaign, Bhatnagar earlier said: “Harpic Network18 Mission Swachhta aur Paani campaign has been working on inclusive sanitation in India, and the importance of water for hygiene and sanitation. Through this platform, our various interventions and partnerships, we aim to reach over 20 million Indians with information and tools that can help drive behaviour change and generate awareness on the importance of proper sanitation in one’s overall health for a healthier India.”

Mission Swachhta aur Paani, an initiative by News18 & Harpic, is a movement that upholds the cause of inclusive sanitation where everyone has access to clean toilets. It advocates equality for all genders, abilities, castes and classes and strongly believes that clean toilets are a shared responsibility.

The telethon will showcase India’s sanitation journey so far and the road ahead for the next five years that will endeavour to bring about a behavioural shift ensuring clean and hygienic toilets. It will bring together government leaders, celebrities, change-makers, sanitation workers and thought leaders from across India with the promise of leaving no one behind.

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