AIRspotlightsummaryonIndiaSanitationConference

insightsonindia.com/2016/10/06/airspotlightsummaryindiasanitationconference/

INSIGHTS 10/6/2016

AIRspotlightsummaryonIndiaSanitationConference

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Introduction

Sanitationcampaignisnowahighprofilecampaignandgettingmoreattentionattheofficiallevelthan
before.Ambitioustargetsaresetandthesearetimebasedtargets.Therearewellrecognisedbrand
ambassadors.
Adequatebudgetarysupportisrequiredtoachievetheambitioustargets.Thequestionisnotofconstructing
toilets,butitsmaintenanceandbehaviouralchange.

ImportanceofBehaviouralchange

Behaviouralchangeistheimportantpartoftheentiresanitationeffort.Wecannotentirelyisolateitfrom
peoplesabilitytousetoiletintermsofadequatewater.Sometimespeoplehavetowalklongdistancesto
fetchdrinkingwater.Thenitbecomesanadditionalburdentogetwaterforsanitationalso.Theseconstraints
havetobekeptinmind.
Behaviouralchangedependsfromareatoareaandwithcertaincircumstancesalso.Intheruralareaswhich
aregettingurbanised,thepressuretohavetoiletsarehigh.Intheseareasthereisnoneedtotalkabout
behaviouralchange.

Whereasinsomeplacespeopledonotfeelthepressuretoshifttousingtoilets.Effortsneedtobemade
heretobringaboutthebehaviouralchange.

HighlightsofSanitationCampaign

Studentsandyouthcanbeusedincreativewaysforkeepingtheschoolsclean.Oneimportantcomponentof
swachhbharatabhiyanistohavetoiletfacilitiesinalltheschools.Thisisveryimportantwithoutwhich
severalgirlsdropoutfromschools.
Drinkingwaterandsanitationarecloselyassociatedinadditiontothewaterneededforsanitation.Thereisa
needtolinkhealthandsanitation.
Stilllotmoreneedstobedonetoachievethetargetby2019.
 Eventodayweseeprevalenceofopendefecationandnotusingtoilets.
Toilets,drainsandsolidwastemanagementhavetobeinsyncwitheachother.Butthereisamissinglink.

DecentralisedEfforts

Manyurbanareastoodonthavesewagefacility.Thelimitedsewagefacilitycausesseriousproblemofriver
pollution.Weneedhighlydecentralisedtechnologyfortreatingsewagewithinthecolony.
Wecanhaveseriesofpondsexposingthesewagetomaximumsunlightpossibleandpassingthesewageto
otherprocessesandtrytobringittosuchaconditionthatitcanbeusedforirrigation.
Throughdecentralisedsolidwastemanagement,wecansegregatethewastegeneratedatthesource.
Segregateintocompostablewaste,noncompostablewasteandhazardouswaste.
Thedecentralisedsystemiscosteffectiveaswasteisnotcarriedtoalongdistance.Ithasnotbeentriedon
asignificantscale.
InPunetheragpickerswereinvolvedinsegregationofsolidwaste.Wesawtheirlivelihoodwasimproved
andthesolidwastemanagementsystemalsoimproved.
Thelivelihoodofallthoseinvolvedshouldbeprotectedandshouldgetmoredignity.Givethemsmart
uniformsandrequiredfacilitiessothattheyworkinmoreeffectiveway.
Sothereisaneedtocombinebothi.e.toimprovesanitationfacilitiesandprovidedignitytosanitation
workers.

RoleofReligion

Ifreligioncouldplayapositiveroleinimprovinghygiene,cleanlinessandmakingsanitationbetter,this
linkagecanbeutilised.
Throughreligionwecanspreadthehabitofwashinghandsbecauseitiswellintegratedwithreligion.Recent
scientificresearchhasshownthatwashinghandsbeforetakingfoodisahealthyhabitandprotectsusfrom
severaldiseases.Scientificfactsarethesameaswhatisbeenpromotedthroughreligion.

Roleofpanchayat

Atthelevelofpanchayat,likeateamofmasonswhobuildtoilets,weshouldhaveawarenessagents
swachhatadoot(communityvolunteer)wereusedastheagentswhocangenerateawareness.
Thetargetsareambitiousforthe5yearperiod.Soeachpanchayatcanhaveateamjustforsanitation.Like
2workers,2masonsandoneawarenesscoordinator.
Brandambassadorshavealimitedroletoplay.InapanchayatoraremotevillageitislocalHeroswhohave
beenthesourceofinspirationforthepeople.

Theissueofmanualscavenging

Rehabilitationofthosewhowereengagedinmanualscavengingisveryimportant.Ensurethatmanual
scavengingisabolishedatallplaces.Therehabilitationcomponentneedsmoreattention.
Thelocaladministrationneedtobecarefulaboutfindingoutthedetailswhethermanualscavenginghas
beenabolishedornot.Thetruthmaybethatinsomevillagesmanualscavengersmaynotsaynotothe
dominantgroups.Intheinitialstageofthenewcolonieswheresewagefacilityisnotpresent,manual
scavengingmaystillbeexistent.

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