67 Years have gone after independence but about 130 million house holds lack toilets. More than 72% of rural people defecate in open. Of the 1 billion people in the world who have no toilet, India accounts for nearly 600 million. World Bank study says that Indian economy loses nearly $54 billion (around Rs 24,000 crore) annually due to lack of toilets and poor hygiene. The cost of treatment for diseases due to poor hygiene is estimated at $38.5 billion (over Rs 17,000 crore). The Government of India and the State Governments have earmarked adequate funds to provide sanitation facilities. Sanitation remains top priority of the nation. The crisis holds the opportunity.
Sanitation Is More Important Than Independence.
The Centre of Excellence for Change (CEC) has not only taken efforts to create awareness on sanitation by spreading messages on eradication of open defecation to ensure clean and hygienic environment but has stepped in to facilitate building of toilets in the villages. In all its Water Security and Safety projects, CEC as taken sanitation as integral part of Water Security.
The CEC sanitation initiatives are,
The Centre of Excellence for Change had initiated sanitation projects in Acharapakkam and Madhuranthanagm Blocks of Kancheepuram District. The Community Change Management Groups were formed and intensive awareness and trainings were given to them. These CCMG members conducted awareness programs in villages on sanitation and water. They sensitized the people on cleanliness of the village, use and maintenance of public toilet to prevent diseases like dengue. Understanding the importance of the message given by the CCMG, the Panchayat Presidents immediately took action to clean the villages. The NREGS team was roped in and involved in cleaning the villages.
As a unique effort, the CEC has mediated in advancing a revolving fund to individuals to help construct household toilets. Rupees 10 Lakhs was given by CEC as revolving fund, which helps to many individuals and provided a short term interim refundable monetary support to the individuals interested in accessing the government's total sanitation program (Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan) and helping them construct nearly 210 toilets in Acharapakkam and Madhuranthanagm Blocks of Kancheepuram District. This initiative has encouraged many to build toilets on time and have put them to use without having to wait for months to receive the subsidy. This program has been very successful and initiated in many other villages. At present this programme is going on in 14 villages. Also, this as a resulted in construction of around 300 toilets by individuals by themselves and put them in use after seeing construction of toilets by many in their village.
Arumugam from Morapakkam Village says, "The interest free loan provided by CEC helped me to construct a toilet for my family in the Village. Now we do not defecate in the open. Following my example 16 families in my street have completed constructing toilet".
The main objective of this program was to eradicate open defecation and make the village an open defecaion free place. The mobilization and awareness was done by the CEC team including every house in the village. House hold level discussion and interaction was done on a regular basis to motivate and encourage the community members to go ahead in constructing toilets in their village . The School going children were targetted in awareness creation program in their schools .
The support was given by the team to process the applications for IHHL, approaching DRDA for IHHL construction and and facilitated every step of the process to help them to access the funds from the government and accomplish the task. Then they were motivated to use it regularly.
The outcome is that there has been a lot of awareness creation on sanitation issues and the role of communities in making the villages a Clean Village.. The success of the initiative is that 1633 IHHL were constructed in 6 months.
In order to ensure the water safety aspect, the source contamination due to open defecation was a serious issue. The same was discussed during the capacity building programmes and during the water quality testing training, with the CCMG members and sensitized them. The effects of open defecation were carried to the community by the CCMG while they were demonstrating the water quality tests.
Also, during the FGD, CWRA & Water Walk the sanitation campaign had been done. Especially during the CWRA, the status of the Integrated Women & Child Sanitary Complex (IWCSC) was questioned and the IWCSC were not in use due to non-availability of water. This was discussed with the Panchayat President.
In Kuppachiparai, the IWCSC was not in use due to non availability of water. The defunct bore well near the sanitary complex was taken up during the water level assessment programme and found that there is water availability in these bore wells. The same was brought to the knowledge of the Panchayat President for necessary action. The president had taken necessary steps to lay pipe and shift the idle motor from the nearby primary school. Also, the sanitary complex was cleaned by the CCMG and the president did some renovation works. Now, the sanitary complex is put in use and the community started to use it.
In Chinthagummanapalli also the same problem was there. Hearing the things happened in the Kuppachiparai, the president asked the CEC to assess the water availability in the bore well near the IWCSC. As done in Kuppachiparai, the water level in the defunct bore well (which was the source of water supply previously for IWCSC) was assessed and the president was told about the water availability. They were in the process of putting the IWCSC in use. Before we started the program, totally 435, 125 & 9 houses only constructed the Individual Toilets in Kuppachipaarai, Beemandapalli and Chinthagummanapalli Panchayats respectively. The regular awareness meeting and intervention among various groups by the CCMG in the 4 months, totally 85, 25 and 36 households were motivated and constructed the Individual toilets.
