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Did you know that one in three people on the planet still don’t have access to a safe, clean toilet? Well, Chennai is no different.

Our vibrant culture, beautiful beaches, quality health care and education, and the right mix of traditional and modern values attracts thousands of people to our city every year. According to the Lonely Planet, Chennai is among the top ten cities in the world to be visited in 2015!

Clearly, Chennaiites have a lot to boast about.

Except one thing.

TOILETS.

Chennai has a population of more than 5 million but did you know that we have only 714 public conveniences? The city also has a large floating population and an informal sector that depends on these public conveniences. Even within the household, several residents still don’t have access to a toilet.

Chennai’s residents have united several times to support various causes. But we have not given much thought to toilet use. It has always been somebody’s problem. Ever thought about where your poop-pee goes once you flush it out of your toilet, out of your sight? Have you asked your domestic help or cook if she has a toilet in her household? Ever imagined the plight of those who wake up early morning, even before the sun is up, to relieve themselves in the open because they don’t have a toilet in their household? Or those who have to hold their pee for an entire day before they can find a safe place to go? We bet each one of you must have found yourself in a similar position at least once in your lifetime!

Lack of sanitation affects all of us in one way or the other. Women and children are the worst affected. The UN reports that lack of sanitation leads to malnutrition and stunted growth in children. Inadequate sanitation also exposes us to a host of serious illnesses and even causes death.

So let’s not ignore this dark reality anymore.

This November, let’s get together, on the occasion of World Toilet Day, to begin a mass movement towards a healthier and smell-free Chennai. Let’s pledge that we will not stop until each one of us has access to a safe and clean toilet at all times of the day, wherever we might be in our beautiful city.

Let’s celebrate our toilets on World Toilet Day!

We have updated the World Toilet Day Celebration details here: https://thehapeecommode.com/world-toilet-day-2015/

Please visit our page in a few weeks for more information. If you are interested in partnering with us or looking for a volunteering opportunity, write to us at hapeecommode@gmail.com

Organized by The Hapee Commode in collaboration with the World Toilet Organization