Bill Gates's new mission: Low cost toilets

Jun 01, 2012 |

Bengaluru

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Software billionaire and founder of Microsoft Bill Gates will be in the city on Friday to attend an exclusive fund raising event hosted by Azim Premji, chairman of Wipro.

According to sources, the event will see the participation of a select few who are closely associated with Mr Premji and his not-for-profit foundation.

Mr Premji believes that education can directly contribute to the economic, social and cultural development of people, while Mr Gates is now committed to bringing ‘low cost toilets’ to India which do not require running water.

Mr Gates believes that these dry toilets would improve public health in developing countries where lack of hygiene is the primary cause of disease. In India alone, only 46.9 per cent of the total 246.6 million households have toilets at home, 3.2 per cent use public toilets and 49.8 per cent use open spaces for defecation.

Mr Gates has invited scientists and engineers from all over the world to Seattle to design cheap dry toilets.

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