World Toilet Day 2021: Know about its history, importance & this year's theme

Every year on November 19, World Toilet Day is celebrated to create awareness among the people regarding the importance of sanitation and to initiate action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. On this day, the United Nations, along with the joint collaboration of the international community, called for collective action to end the sanitization crisis prevalent across the world.

According to a report published by the United Nations, 3.6 billion people across the globe don't have access to a proper toilet, meaning less than half of the world's population is facing issues of proper sanitization, which can turn into a serious threat for the upcoming generation.

History of World Toilet Day 

Established in the year 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly, World Toilet Day was an initiative taken by a philanthropist, Jack Sim from Singapore, who founded the World Toilet Organization NGO back in the year 2001 to raise awareness about the importance of sanitation and hygiene. After Singapore tabled the resolution, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 19 as World Toilet Day. At the 67th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the members pointed out the need to build a proper sanitization system and also highlighted the unsatisfactory progress being made in providing basic sanitary services across the country. Since the day came into existence, it has been celebrated under various themes based on the situation across the world.

Theme of World Toilet Day 2021 

Every year, World Toilet Day is celebrated under various themes that are set by the UN. This year’s World Toilet Day theme is "valuing toilets." The theme aims to stress the absolute necessity of toilets in our lives. The official statement issued by the United Nations said, "The campaign draws attention to the fact that toilets—and the sanitation systems that support them—are underfunded, poorly managed, or neglected in many parts of the world, with devastating consequences for health, the economy, and the environment, particularly in the poorest and most marginalized communities."

Importance of Toilet Day

Today when the 3.6 billion people across the globe are facing a sanitization crisis the World Toilet Day gives an opportunity to create awareness and take necessary action towards building toilets in order to make this world a hygienic place for everyone to live.

World Toilet Day 2021: Initiatives taken in India

Apart from the efforts being made by the global community towards building toilets and proper sanitization systems, India has been on the greatest toilet-building spree in human history. The toilet building initiative was taken under the "Swach Bharat" mission launched by the PM Narendra Modi-led government, which has built more than 100 million indoor toilets across the nation. The "Clean India" mission has assisted the country in overcoming a history of poor hygiene, open defecation, and a lack of sanitization.

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