As per
the latest estimates, 53% of Indian population ( app 600 millions) defecate in
open, out of which around 70 % reside in rural areas while around 18.6 % in
urban areas. These facts reflect the seriousness of this neglected issue of
open defecation which is one of the root causes of various life threatening
diseases like GE, Malaria, Jaundice etc. This is also important that poor
sanitation, which affects the health of individuals resulting into malnutrition,
finally lead to loss of productivity. Apart from this every day around 1000
children below 5 years die due to diarrhea and other sanitation related
diseases. There had been attempts by the Government to tackle the problem of
sanitation some time in a routine manner and sometime in the form of specific
schemes but these attempts failed to achieve the desired success. During 1986
government launched Central Rural
Sanitation Programme (CRSP) to improve the quality of life of the rural
people and also to provide privacy and dignity to women. This programme was
later changed to “Total Sanitation
Campaign” (TSC) in 1999 and later on it was termed as “Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan” to eradicate the practice of open
defecation by 2017. However the desired results were not received in spite of
all big claims and projections. Now the government has again restructured it as
“Swatch Bharat Mission” or “Clean India Campaign”.
In order to make all such programme effective and to meet the desired
objectives, there is need to integrate following issues which have affected the
success of all such programme in the past.
1. India being blessed with varied diversity and multiculturalism
requires an appropriate demand analysis
with specific references to location (geography), climate, communities and stakeholders
for making suitable strategy.
2. The fact that 66 % of the Indian households do not have the access
to drinking water from treated tap sources while around 80 % devoid of closed
drainage connectivity for discharge of waste water, availability of water is
one of the major factors that affect any programme considerably which are aimed
at optimum sanitation and maintenance of hygienic living conditions. These two
factors hence need adequate consideration and concerted efforts.
Source: Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation
3. Construction of sanitary toilets is one of the integral components
of housing programme hence integration of housing, water and sanitation can act
as effective strategy. Alternatively allotting these three departments to one
ministry at government level can considerably help in ensuring integration, convergence
and effective implementation.
4. As the open defecation and other sanitation related activities are
directly related to health of the individual there is need to involve the
primary health department in the programme so that the proper integration is
ensured.
5. Effective mechanism to redress the issues related with proper
toilet use like absence of mechanism to monitor the toilet, lack of plumbing
and drainage facility, lack of proper consideration of gender based factors etc
are equally important.
6. Adoption of proper design, water efficient models, user-friendly designs
and easy to maintain models are essentially need to be given due weightage.
7. Urban Peculiarity: Though the Urban areas are better placed both in the access to
drinking water and also improved sanitation but the problems of water shortage
coupled with socio –economic factors and scarcity of space make the problem
peculiar and tough for local administrators in Urban Areas (Municipalities and
Corporations) and requires a location and issue specific strategy.
8. The other important aspect that is directly related to sustainable
sanitation is the proper disposal of sewerage. In Urban areas where the issue
of proper disposal of sewerage including treatment of sewerage and recycling of
waste (which is also associated with bio gas production) are to be given due
importance. Same time in rural areas the
safe and scientific disposal which includes even reuse of waste for
agri-productivity can make a win –win situation for all stake holders of the
programme.
9. As most of the people lacking the toilet facilities are poor and
below poverty line, adequate financial assistance either in cash or kind with
fool proof disbursement mechanism, less complicated procedures without
red-tape, proper monitoring etc. are equally important.
10. Mothers at home and
teachers at school: The role of mother in
sanitation and hygiene is most crucial since it is only mothers who is not only responsible
for collecting water and caretakers of sickened family members mainly child due
to water borne diseases but as a women she has particular needs for sanitation
which makes her position very vital not only in imparting education but also in
evolving workable strategy if allowed in decision making processes. Similarly
the teachers at school can make a big difference in imparting education for sanitation
though it is also ironical that still
about 20 % schools in India lack toilet facilities for girls.
11. Behavioral Change: Apart from lack of awareness among stake holders about various
issues of Sustainable Sanitation
Programme there is need to address the issue of behavioral change which requires
to be tackled on top priority because it is not the illiterate and poor who are
to be given adequate awareness but in many of the literate communities the well
to do and educated people specially male still prefer to defecate in open in
spite of having sanitary latrines. In addition to awareness there is need to
address the behavioral issues related to sanitation specially open defecation
not only for the individuals but also for the social or political
institutions like Gram sabha, panchayats, Khaps etc where these issues
can be addressed once they get social acceptability.
12. As the provision of financial assistance for construction of
toilets is one of the crucial factors for success of programmes there should be
a provision of mandatory contribution either in kind or cash. The factors like
cost of sanitation improvement and sanitary services including maintenance need
to be examined and factored carefully before launching programme at massive
scale.
13. There is need to provide a proactive and supportive platform for
the private sector to participate in the programme so that they can become
partner not only to assist in capital works but also become partner on
operational and maintenance related issues.
14. As per 2011 survey by the
Central Pollution Control Board only 160 out of 8,000 towns had both sewerage
systems and a sewage treatment plants. Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats which have been adequately
strengthened through 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments should also be supported and exhorted to strengthen themselves through various reforms/initiatives
specially for revenue realization which will provide them opportunities and strength to
design, execute and operate desired systems/ interventions.
15. Proper incentives and rewards to organizations and individuals
involved in the programme implementations and initiating new interventions in
the areas of proper sanitation and hygiene related programmes should also
become integral part of strategy.
16. The past experiment relating to sanitation programme in West
Bengal and Himachal Pradesh helped to highlight the importance of three factors
( also called Toilet Tripod ). These factors are (1) multi-scalar political will on the
part of both government and NGOs ; (2) proximate social pressure, i.e.,
person-to-person contact between rural inhabitants and toilets; and (3)
political ecology, i.e., assured access to water, compatible soil type, and
changing land use can play a crucial role in the success of this programme.
17.
Last but not the least, a
comprehensive strategy and effective policy with due consideration of all above
mentioned issues with strong political will to tackle the issue cutting across
the regional or political lines will certainly pave way for the achievement of
optimum sanitation and ensure better hygienic conditions in the country.
