UNICEF team in Mudichur to learn lessons in community participation

TAMBARAM: As part of an International Learning Exchange programme of the United Nations Children’s Fund, an 18-member delegation, including government officials from five developing countries, visited Mudichur panchayat near Tambaram on Wednesday in an attempt to pick up some lessons in community participation, involvement of government and elected representatives in improving quality of life of people.

The delegation comprised officials from Nigeria, Indonesia, East Timor, Philippines and Afghanistan in addition to representatives from UNICEF.

Briefing reporters about the visit, Prakash Kumar, Ecological and Sanitation Consultant, UNICEF India, said this was the third year of the IEL programme in India. Three groups had come to India and the present group would be visiting Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand, while the other two would be visiting Gujarat and Maharashtra, and Bihar and Uttar Pradesh respectively.

During the course of its two-week stay in India, the delegation would be visiting cities, towns and villages and study Central and State government schemes, particularly those supported and funded by UNICEF, relating to water supply and sanitation, Mr. Prakash said.

A.Devaraj, Project Officer, Water and Sanitation, UNICEF, Tamil Nadu, said UNICEF was a major contributor for providing technical advice to the State on implementing sustainable sanitation projects. And Tamil Nadu had an excellent record in the areas of menstrual hygience, school and ecological sanitation and hence it would offer plenty of scope for the IEL delegation members to learn from the Indian experience in implementing the different projects.

S.Moovendan, St. Thomas Mount Panchayat Union Block Coordinator for Total Sanitation Campaign, said that following a training programme by the District Rural Development Agency, Mudichur Village Panchayat staff and ward members were glad to take up solid waste management practices. A compost yard to convert kitchen waste to organic manure through vermi composting was established. Under the Total Sanitation Campaign, 90 per cent of the households were equipped with Individual Household Toilets and for the rest, the panchayat had built public conveniences, Mr. Moovendan told the delegation, adding there was a visible improvement as open defecation was eradicated.

P.Damodaran, panchayat president, informed the delegation that while implementing welfare measures, they mobilised public support. Giving their feedback, members said they were impressed by the clean and green environs in the panchayat.

Job Ominyi from Nigeria said they were overwhelmed by the support extended to the schemes by the people, the commitment of administrators and ward members and the transparency maintained in all projects.

Post Date : 16 Oktober 2008