S’pore may have most modern sanitation, but toilets not
clean enough
SINGAPORE : Singapore may have the most modern sanitation
system, but its public toilets are not clean enough, says Minister
in the Prime Minister’s Office, Lim Swee Say.
He called on Singaporeans to get their act together to make the
toilets among the cleanest in the world.
Mr Lim was speaking at the World Toilet Summit and Expo on
Wednesday. The summit is back in Singapore for the second time in
nine years.
Providing countries with basic toilet solutions is big business
amounting to US$1 trillion, said participants at the World Toilet
Summit.
But industry players said more needs to be done to reach out to
the nearly 2.5 billion people who still do not have access to
modern sanitation.
Dr Ke Seetharaman, director, Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan
Yew School of Public Policy, said: "Unlike water which is needed
for basic living and survival — people demand that — but in the
case of sanitation, people just go and defecate in the open, they
do not demand it from their policy makers to give them good
sanitation."
So what is needed immediately is — sanitation facilities for 500
million households.
Mr Lim said: "This global sanitation challenge can only be
overcome if the global community learns to put every dollar, every
idea and every drop of water to good use. It will take a long time
but it can be done if there is enough attention, effort and
determination put into this.
"Here in Singapore, in the area of water management and
sanitation development, we did put every dollar, every idea and
every drop of water to good use over the years. Today, we are proud
to have one of the most modern sanitation in the world, with 100
per cent coverage of households and public places."
But Singapore faces a different challenge.
Jack Sim, founder, World Toilet Organisation, said: "People have
been asking me how come Singapore can host Formula One but can’t
keep the coffee shop toilet clean. Once we have the focus on
enforcement and encouragement and whatever policy that is needed,
it will happen."
The World Toilet Summit and Expo is not just about the
challenges that are being faced by the sanitation industry in
countries. It is also about a clean environment and keeping cities
clean.
That is where the whole range of cleaning industry products at
the expo provides business opportunities for this sector —
especially when the industry is a growing S$600 million sector —
through best practices and automation.
— CNA/ms