The Municipal Committee Leh (MCL), in collaboration with the Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG), marked World Toilet Day 2025 on November 20 with a youth-focused painting and slogan-writing competition aimed at deepening public understanding of sanitation, hygiene, and responsible waste management.

Supported by the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS) and Development Alternatives, the programme brought together students from schools across Leh.

Stanzin Rabgais, Executive Officer, MC Leh, emphasised the significance of World Toilet Day for a region where access to safe water, clean toilets, and scientific waste management is vital to public health.

Asma Yousuf, Project Manager at LEDeG, welcomed and felicitated the dignitaries, highlighting the shared responsibility of communities, institutions, and young people in sustaining improved sanitation practices.

Delivering the thematic address, Deskyong Namgyal, a student from SECMOL, spoke on sanitation as a collective duty. He underscored behavioural change as the cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier Leh, stressing the importance of protecting water sources, ensuring proper toilet use—especially in Ladakh’s cold desert environment—and adopting daily hygiene habits for long-term community well-being.

Students presented compelling artwork and slogans on clean toilet practices, water conservation, waste segregation, and collective responsibility. The jury commended the creativity and the clarity with which participants conveyed the urgency of sanitation awareness.

In the painting competition, Samran Fatama (Imamia School) secured the first prize, followed by Jigmat Wangstok (DPS Leh) and Stanzin Yangdol (Siddharth School).
In slogan writing, Leh Modern School claimed the top position, with Siddharth School and Govt. High School Housing Colony securing second and third places respectively.

Chief Guest Sanjeet Rodrigues, Administrative Secretary, UT Ladakh, called for youth-led environmental stewardship, responsible toilet use, and stronger community participation in sanitation initiatives. He reiterated that maintaining clean toilets and ensuring safe water are central to public health in Ladakh’s fragile ecological landscape.

MCL and LEDeG expressed gratitude to supporting organisations, participating schools, teachers, and students for contributing to the programme’s educational impact and reinforcing the message that sanitation is a shared civic responsibility.