New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS): Making toilets available for every family who have been deprived of proper sanitation facilities is one of the most important tasks the central government is trying to perform, Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhaya said here Wednesday.

He said that through proper awareness the central government was trying to sensitise the people in the villages and the semi-urban areas about how the use of toilets can prevent them from dreaded diseases like diarrhoea.

Upadhaya was speaking at the flagging-off ceremony of "Sulabh Swachhata Rath", a campaign to raise awareness about toilets among the people in villages. BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh Jagdambika Pal was also present on the occasion.

The function was part of the three-day International Toilet Festival (Nov 18-20) organised by the Sulabh International to mark World Toilet Day.

During the campaign, an eco-friendly bus equipped with solar panels and screens will go to villages across the country to show movies which will create awareness about the importance of toilets.

Upadhaya said initiatives like the Sulabh Swachhata Rath will be effective in conveying the message regarding the importance of toilets.

As per recent studies, more than 1,600 children under the age of five die daily in India due to diarrhoea caused by lack of sanitation.

Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International, said: "The motive of such initiatives is to make people more and more aware about toilets. It is a fact that lack of toilets in every house, specially in the villages and rural areas, is a curse for the people."

He said Sulabh International being an NGO was doing everything it could for the cause. However, it had certain limitations which can be fulfilled by the government.