<p>Ramesh also said it was a "sad commentary" on the society.<br />Utilising the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Ramesh sought active involvement of all parties concerned including women panchayat representatives to sensitise the people in creating awareness about public hygiene.<br /><br />"On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, I would like to mention one such case which is a shame on all of us. No other country in the world where about 60 per cent women have to go to the field for open defecation," Ramesh said at a function organised by the 'Hunger Project.'<br /><br />According to a latest WHO survey, 58 per cent of the world's population practicing open defecation lives in India while China and Indonesia come a distant second by accounting for just 5 per cent of the world numbers.<br /><br />Terming the prevailing open defecation in many parts of the country as a "blot on India", Ramesh said this is an issue of public hygiene.<br /><br />"These women do not have access to hygiene. This is actually a very sad commentary on our society. We seem to be not doing much about it," the minister rued.<br /><br />Referring to the Mahatma, he said Gandhiji had strived for transforming villages into 'nirmal grams' (village free from open defecation).<br /><br />"There are some states like Harayana, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Kerala where hygiene conditions exist but in other states it is not visible," Ramesh noted.<br /><br />Terming the situation as "paradox", he said, "We prefer to remain clean and dump filth outside. This is a pardox -- individual hygiene and public filth. This is something that we should take up as a challenge. It is a challenge for political parties, the government and society also."<br /><br />Describing the prevailing condition of rivers, he said, "Rivers are not rivers in India. Rivers have become sewers. The 500-km stretch of Ganga between Kannuaj and Varanasi is just sewer."</p>
<p>Ramesh also said it was a "sad commentary" on the society.<br />Utilising the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, Ramesh sought active involvement of all parties concerned including women panchayat representatives to sensitise the people in creating awareness about public hygiene.<br /><br />"On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, I would like to mention one such case which is a shame on all of us. No other country in the world where about 60 per cent women have to go to the field for open defecation," Ramesh said at a function organised by the 'Hunger Project.'<br /><br />According to a latest WHO survey, 58 per cent of the world's population practicing open defecation lives in India while China and Indonesia come a distant second by accounting for just 5 per cent of the world numbers.<br /><br />Terming the prevailing open defecation in many parts of the country as a "blot on India", Ramesh said this is an issue of public hygiene.<br /><br />"These women do not have access to hygiene. This is actually a very sad commentary on our society. We seem to be not doing much about it," the minister rued.<br /><br />Referring to the Mahatma, he said Gandhiji had strived for transforming villages into 'nirmal grams' (village free from open defecation).<br /><br />"There are some states like Harayana, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Kerala where hygiene conditions exist but in other states it is not visible," Ramesh noted.<br /><br />Terming the situation as "paradox", he said, "We prefer to remain clean and dump filth outside. This is a pardox -- individual hygiene and public filth. This is something that we should take up as a challenge. It is a challenge for political parties, the government and society also."<br /><br />Describing the prevailing condition of rivers, he said, "Rivers are not rivers in India. Rivers have become sewers. The 500-km stretch of Ganga between Kannuaj and Varanasi is just sewer."</p>