World Toilet Summit is the only one event to talk about hygiene, health, sanitation, and the important of toilet itself."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Around one million people of Indonesia are still living without good sanitation, according to chairman of the Indonesian Toilet Association (ATI), Naning Adiwoso, quoting data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).
"This is evidence that drinking water and sanitation in Indonesia remain a big challenge but it is always underestimated," Naning said at press conference on World Toilet Summit 2013 here on Monday.
He noted that 63 million of Indonesian population, including around one million in Jakarta are still living without proper toilets and therefore they practice open defecation in the rivers.
"Unhealthy sanitation could potentially give rise to various diseases, and therefore it is important to promoting healthy sanitation for all parties," he said, adding that now the access to healthy sanitation could only be enjoyed by 55 percent of the people in Indonesia.
Lack of sanitation facilities and poor awareness of proper management of domestic waste-water, and the discharge of untreated waste into water systems is one of the most common sanitation problems in Indonesia.
Further, Naning said the Indonesian Toilet Association will hold World Toilet Summit 2013 at the Sunan Hotel in Solo city, Central Java, from October 2-4.
"World Toilet Summit is the only one event to talk about hygiene, health, sanitation, and the important of toilet itself," Naning said.
He added that people access to sanitation was not the responsibility of the central government alone because the regional governments also have their role to play.
Therefore he noted that the Indonesian Toilet Association was supported by Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Government of Surakarta to organize the the World Toilet Summit 2013 in Solo.
(Uu.O001/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
