GAIL joins Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

CORPORATE/CSR

GAIL (INDIA) LIMITED

to provide hygienic sanitation facilities 

for girl students at schools

GAIL to construct 1,021 toilets 

across India under 

“Swachh Bharat, SwachhVidyalaya” 

program at about Rs 27 crore

GAIL supports Girls Toilet 

work Programme inspired by the 

Hon’ble Prime Minister’s call for

“Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat”

 

New Delhi, October 2, 2014: GAIL (India) Limited will construct over 1,000 toilets in schools across the country in a significant move towards fulfilling Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s commitment towards providing hygienic sanitation facilities for girl students. GAIL (India) Limited would construct 1,021 toilets at schools across India as part of Government of India’s drive to construct toilets at all schools of the country under “Swachh Bharat, Swachh Vidyalaya” scheme.

The programme was launched today by Hon’ble Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas (Independent charge) Shri Dharmendra Pradhan at Khordha district of Odisha at Sisupal Garh CP School in Bhubaneswar Block where bio-toilets will be constructed with provision of water supply and overhead tank. The school was established in 1948 and is a co-educational primary school. Shri Pradhan also administered the cleanliness oath to 150 school children and about 500 members of the public.

 

Lack of hygienic sanitation facilities in schools has been a major cause of embarrassment for the girl students. As a consequence, they leave school on average at an earlier age than their male contemporaries. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji has set a target of providing separate toilets for girls by August 15 next year. GAIL supported Girls Toilet Work programme will help in covering the long felt gap in hygiene infrastructure in schools as well as contribute to the Swachcha Bharat Abhiyan in its own way.

GAIL Chairman and Managing Director Shri B C Tripathi initiated the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by launching the renovation work of toilets at the Government School of Pahaj village near the GAIL Gas Processing Plant at Gandhar in Gujarat.

The GAIL supported Girls Toilet work is being undertaken under the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes, entailing an expenditure of Rs 27 crore. With today’s launch, the construction work has been kicked off at four districts – Khordha (243 toilets) and Nayagarh (132) districts of Odisha, East Godavari (336) in Andhra Pradesh and Jhabua (310) in Madhya Pradesh. In total, 1,021 toilets will be constructed across India.

Commenting on the initiative, Shri Tripathi said, “GAIL (India) Limited is committed to improve the hygienicsanitation facilities for girls at schools as a responsible corporate citizen of the country. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan will leave a positive impact on public health in the long run. Accordingly, we have undertaken the drive to construct 1,021 toilets across India. Separate toilet facilities for girls in schools would also help in bringing down the dropout rates drastically and will eventually lead to increasing the female literacy rate.”

Shri Tripathi announced that in addition to the renovation of the toilets in the school in Pahaj village of Bharuch district of Gujarat, GAIL would provide computer laboratory and equipment to the school. The company would also provide support for the school’s augmentation to high-school level.

He said GAIL would support sustainable development of water, sanitation and garbage disposal facilities in Pahaj village on a sustainable basis by promoting infrastructure and encouraging community involvement for their operations.

To realise the dream of the Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi and mark the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on his birth day, the entire GAIL community has pledged to keep their surroundings neat and clean. This includes the office promises as well as the residential complexes and related areas. Several programmes like walkathons, cleaning drives, etc. were also organized at all installations of GAIL to mark the event.