Anupama Sathi is a Community Correspondent from Jagatsinghpur district Odisha. She has been involved in helping organisations and students file RTIs in her area. She feels that her involvement in organisations like Mahila Ayog, a women’s rights group, has given a massive boost to her self-confidence. On the India Unheard platform, she wants to make videos that highlight community level…

Anupama Sathy

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Lack of sanitation is the world's leading cause of infection. It is a serious health risk and an affront to human dignity. It affects billions of people around the world, particularly the poor and disadvantaged. If the trend continues as currently projected, by 2015 there will be 2.7 billion people without access to basic sanitation. There are about 783 million people without water access in the world. In Jatia village, Odisha, hundreds of people are suffering from diarrhea. The Jatia village is administered under Potanai Panchayat of Kujang block, Jagatsinghpur district. The community here is compelled to use from water from ponds, which have not been cleaned. The government provides funds to clean ponds in villages under the 'Nirmal Gram Scheme' (Rural Sanitation Scheme) of which, this village has been deprived of. Because of this, the ponds remain polluted and since there is no other regular or nearby source of water, the community is forced to consume polluted water. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under five in the world. Around 1.5 million deaths each year - nearly one in five -- are caused by diarrhea. It kills more children than malaria, AIDS, and measles combined. Sanitation and proper hygiene are crucial to diarrhea prevention. It is estimated that improved sanitation facilities can result in an average reduction in cases of diarrhea of more than one-third. So if the pond gets cleaned, at least 30 people will not fall sick out of 100. It becomes more significant when the community size itself is 150 - 200. Please call Subodh Guru, Executive Officer, Potanai panchayat, Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha, on +91 - 9583923362 and Sushant Muduli, Village Head on +91 - 9238521081 and pressurize them to sanction funds under the 'Nirmal Gram Scheme' to clean the pond immediately and ensure that the pond and other sources of water are regularly cleaned. Community Correspondent Anupama reporting from Kujang block, Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha. Resurces: Water.org