WORLD WATER DAY BY GRAMALAYA

Gramalaya, Tiruchirappalli
TIRUCHIRAPPALLI, India, 22 Mar 08

http://www.gramalaya.org

This is the 10th World Water Day for Gramalaya where thousands of women confluence at Gramalaya Training Centre at Kolakkudipatti on 22nd March 2008.

To commemorate the International Year of Sanitation 2008, Gramalaya will announce three rural blocks which is consisting of 429 villages of Thottiayam, T.Pet, Thuraiyur Block as open defecation free villages on March 22nd. Apart from this, 186 slums in the City Corporation of Tiruchirappalli will be announced as open defecation free slums. The Gramalaya Training Centre will be added with few more new buildings and communication facilities, a water and sanitation resource centre named as NIWAS - National Institute of Water And Sanitation. Being the tenth year of World Water Day for Gramalaya, the contributions in the field of water and sanitation made possible due to the continuous support of WaterAid, UK, WaterPartners International, USA, Arghyam, Bangalore, India. In addition to the support from the above agencies, Gramalaya programmes are supported by local government, City Corporation, Total Sanitation Campaign of the Central Government and by the elected representatives of different PRIs. The CBOs such as the Village Water and Sanitation Committees, WAVE - Womens' Action for Village Empowerment, a federation of 2500 women Self-Help Groups from the urban and rural areas of Tiruchirappalli District greatly contributed to the achievement of Gramalaya's vision.

It is expected that more than 25,000 women from 500 villages and slums of Tiruchirappalli District along with elected representatives, Government officials and bankers will participate in the World Water Day event on March 22nd, 2008.

Gramalaya is expecting support from its donor agencies and interested organizations for supplementing its efforts including donations for organizing the World Water Day event a mega success.

Contact: Geetha Jegannathan <gramalaya@hotmail.com>