S Damodaran (social worker)

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S Damodaran (born 12 March 1962) is the founder of the NGO Gramalaya based in Tiruchirappalli. Gramalaya, established in 1987, was initially focused on the economic improvement of rural people. Later, realizing that the more urgent and immediate concern is the unavailability of clean drinking water and toilet facilities, the NGO shifted their focus to water and sanitation. Gramalaya aims to eradicate open defecation by providing eco-friendly toilets. Gramalaya is now an important resource center of the Ministry of Jalshakti, Govt of India. The NGO has been functioning with the support of Government, donors and corporate groups under CSR initiatives. [1] It was Gramalaya's efforts that helped transform the Thandavampatti village in Tiruchy into the first open-defecation free village in India in 2003. [2]

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Damodaran secured BA degree in Corporate Secretaryship in 1984, MCom degree in 1986 and MBA in Project Management in 2011. [3]

Recognition: Padma Shri

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Padma Shri, also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. It is awarded by the Government of India every year on India's Republic Day.

Community-led total sanitation Approach to improve sanitation and hygiene practices, mainly in developing countries

Community-led total sanitation (CLTS) is an approach used mainly in developing countries to improve sanitation and hygiene practices in a community. The approach tries to achieve behavior change in mainly rural people by a process of "triggering", leading to spontaneous and long-term abandonment of open defecation practices. It focuses on spontaneous and long-lasting behavior change of an entire community. The term "triggering" is central to the CLTS process: It refers to ways of igniting community interest in ending open defecation, usually by building simple toilets, such as pit latrines. CLTS involves actions leading to increased self-respect and pride in one's community. It also involves shame and disgust about one's own open defecation behaviors. CLTS takes an approach to rural sanitation that works without hardware subsidies and that facilitates communities to recognize the problem of open defecation and take collective action to clean up and become "open defecation free".

Water supply and sanitation in India Drinking water supply and sanitation in India continue to be inadequate

The water supply and sanitation in India has improved drastically since 1980s. While entire population of India has access to toilets, however, many people lack access to clean water and sewage infrastructure. Various government programs at national, state, and community level have brought rapid improvements in sanitation and the drinking water supply. Some of these programs are ongoing.

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation was a ministry of the Government of India formed in 2011. From May 2019, the ministry has been merged with the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Open defecation Humans defecating outside (in the open environment) rather than into a toilet

Open defecation is the human practice of defecating outside rather than into a toilet. People may choose fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals, or other open spaces for defecation. They do so either because they do not have a toilet readily accessible or due to traditional cultural practices. The practice is common where sanitation infrastructure and services are not available. Even if toilets are available, behavior change efforts may still be needed to promote the use of toilets. 'Open defecation free' (ODF) is a term used to describe communities that have shifted to using toilets instead of open defecation. This can happen, for example, after community-led total sanitation programs have been implemented.

Swachh Bharat Mission Country-wide campaign to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management in India

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission is a country-wide campaign initiated by the Government of India in 2014 to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management. It is a restructured version of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan launched in 2009 that failed to achieve its intended targets.

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Dr. Suhas Vitthal Mapuskar popularly known as Dr. Mapuskar or Dr. S. V. Mapuskar was an Indian physician and social activist who was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India posthumously in 2017. He had received the Nirmal Gram Award from late President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in 2006. He dedicated his life to make Dehu village open defecation free beginning as early as in the 1960s. He is known for his work in the field of rural sanitation in Maharashtra.

Marachi Subburaman

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References

  1. Nahla Nainar and Kathelene Antony (30 January 2022). "Padma Shri honours for regional trailblazers". THG Publishing Pvt Ltd. The Hindu. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  2. Sowmya Mani (27 January 2022). "Man behind India's first open-defecation free village receives Padma Shri". The New Indian Express. Express News Service. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  3. "Biodata of S Damodaran" (PDF). Gramalya. Gramalaya. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  4. "Padma Awards 2022" (PDF). Padma Awards. Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  5. "Padma Awards 2022". Padma Awards. Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India. Archived from the original on 2022-01-29. Retrieved 11 February 2022.