Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/865272
W EEKLY EDITION AUG 23, 2017 Joke of the Week An EPA representative stopped at a portable sanitation company and talked with an old operator. He told the operator, "I need to inspect your premises for possible illegal dumping." The seasoned operator said, "Okay, but I think it would be better for all concerned if you didn't go in that area over there." He pointed to a distant corner of the property which abutted a n eighboring junkyard. The EPA representative said, "Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me. See this card? This card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WANT on ANY operation. No questions asked or answered. Have I made myself clear ? Do you understand?" The operator nodded politely and went about his work on the yard. Later, the operator heard loud screams and saw the representative running for his car, with the huge Rottweiler from the junkyard barking and chasing him from behind. The dog was gaining on the EPA rep with every step. The man was clearly terrified, so the old operator shouted out: "Your card! Your card! Show him your card!" Divorce over Defecation A court in Rajasthan, India found that forcing a woman to defecate outside after dark is a form of torture, which qualified as grounds for granting an Indian woman a divorce from her uncooperative husband When an Indian woman's husband refused to install a toilet inside their home, she took him to court, where a judge assure d her of her right to proper sanitation. Women in Indian villages "often wait until sunset to answer nature's call," which was labeled by the judge presiding on the case as "physical crue lty" and a "violation of 'the modesty of a woman.'" India's government launched its "Clean India" campaign in 2014 to "ensure an indoor toilet in every household by 2019," considering that outdoor defe cation is a major health threat and can be dangerous af ter dark. This basic human right was something that the woman in question often requested of her husband, only to be denied. Interestingly, "calls to install toilets have been met with resistance in India by people who consider them unnecessary and expens ive." In fact, a local official was quoted in 2016 telling men to "sell their wives" in order to afford a toilet. Almost half of India's population practice s open defecation, meaning over 100,000 tons of untreated feces are left at ground level outdoors ev eryday. This overload of exposed fecal matter causes disease, which can lead to diarrhea. "Diarrhea [alone] kills about 400 Indian children under 5 each day." When the couple married five years ago, her husband assured the woman that an indoor toilet was not an issue. However, after her repeated demands were met with refusal, she filed for divorce two years ago. The fact that a judge found this woman's case legitimate shows the shift in perspective that is beginning to occur. It was noted in his findings how "people spend money 'buying tobacco, liquor and mobile phones, but are unwilling to construct toilets to protect the dignity of [their] family.'" With India's campaign in effect and court officials siding with those victimized by the lack of a proper t oilet, the hope is that there will be continued developments in the fight to end open defecation. READ THE STORY © Portable Sanitation Ass ociation International (PSAI) • 2626 E 82 n d Street, Suite 175 • B loomington, MN 55425 www.psai.org • 952 - 854 - 8300