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Army to build one million toilets
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A man pumps freshwater from the ground at a public toilet in Jakarta on March 21, 2017, on the eve of World Water Day. International World Water Day is marked annually on March 22 to focus global attention on the importance of water. (AFP/ Bay Ismoyo)
T
he Indonesian Army has pledged to build 1 million toilets for impoverished families in villages across the archipelago in an effort to help improve access to sanitation facilities in remote areas.
"Around 24 million families in Indonesia do not have good sanitation facilities due to poverty and a lack of education about the importance of health," Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mulyono said on Tuesday as quoted by Antara.
Therefore, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has committed itself to building one million toilets in collaboration with the Health Ministry through community service program Integrated Soldiers to Develop Villages (TMMD), he said.
The program is also in line with the government's target to eliminate public defecation in the country by 2019, Mulyono added.
The TNI will train 65 village supervisory non-commissioned officers (Babinsa) in May as community health educators, he said.
(Read also: Sanitary business aims for higher growth through ecotourism)
The number of Babinsa personnel to be trained would increase to 3,520 by 2018 and they are expected to campaign to raise awareness on the importance of living a sanitary lifestyle, Mulyono said.
The 99th TMMD program will be held from July 4 to August 2, involving 58 companies comprising Indonesian Army personnel and 8,700 volunteers of government-related bodies. They would be deployed to 92 villages in 58 regencies and cities across the archipelago. (bbs)
