Explain the relationship between sanitation and …

• Sanitation and Disease

Many people in our country still do not have an access to proper sanitation facilities. They defecate in the open, on dry riverbeds, on railway tracks, near fields and many a time directly in water.

Poor sanitation and contaminated drinking water is the cause of a large number of diseases. Untreated human excreta is a health hazard and cause water pollution and soil pollution. When both the surface water and groundwater get polluted it becomes the most common route for water borne diseases like cholera, typhoid, polio, meningitis, hepatitis and dysentery.

• Alternative Arrangement of Sewage Disposal: In such places where sewage treatment plants are not accessible, alternative methods for sewage disposal are used. To improve sanitation, low cost onsite sewage disposal systems are being encouraged. For example - septic tanks, chemical toilets, composting pits. A septic tank is a highly efficient underground waste water treatment system. It is less expensive than other sewer systems and uses natural processes to treat the waste water. Some organizations offer hygienic on-site human waste disposal technology in which the toilets do not require scavenging. Excreta from the toilet seats flow through covered drains into a biogas plant and biogas is produced.

• Sanitation at Public Places: In our country a large number of fairs are organised periodically in which people participate. So, railway stations, bus depots, airports, hospitals are the busiest places where thousands of people visit daily. A large amount of waste is generated in such places which must be disposed of properly otherwise it will result into epidemics. The government has laid down certain standards of sanitation but, unfortunately, they are not strictly enforced. We should contribute in maintaining sanitation at public places.

There are some ways in which we can contribute in maintaining sanitation at public places like we should not scatter litter at public places.

We should play a keen role in keeping our environment clean and healthy. We must realise our responsibility in maintaining the water sources in a healthy state.