Open Defecation: A problem that has been in our country for years or decades, but we have not moved forward in curbing it.
Where does the problem lie?
-- Is it with the mindset of our people
-- Is it with the successive governments
I think both these factors contribute equally to this problem. It is only if there is a combined effort from both the people and the government can this issue be resolved. The rural areas have been plagued with the cases of diarrhoeal deaths due to lack of hygiene and improper sanitation. Almost five thousand children die due to diarrhoea every day due to unhygienic sanitation (UN-Water, 2008).
We have all come across a popular interview by Union Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam, where he justifies the hike in the petrol prices to build toilets for the poor in India. Is this a correct justification for the hike in petrol prices. Governments have been launching a lot of schemes for improving the sanitation for the poor, especially in the rural India and have been investing crores of rupees into these projects with negligible improvement in curbing open defecation. So, I think that money is not the problem for such bad performance of these schemes and neither a hike in petrol prices will help build toilets for the poor. The main problem in all these schemes is the lack of deliverability and lack of awareness among the poor about the ill effects of open defecation. Even though if in a panchayat, toilets are built to reduce open defecation, people still prefer to defecate in the open rather than using those toilets. They are not aware of the consequences of unhygienic conditions. Illiteracy is another major factor which has aggravated the whole episode. So, the whole trend of linking money and investment into this problem is of no use unless and until we start from the grass root levels.
A recent development which has been in news is the one related to our neighbour - Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been successful in reducing open defecation to 1%. A country with less per capita income than ours has shown the whole world that a developed status or a higher per capita income is not necessary to make changes in the society. An article in the magazine - Economic & Political Weekly shows a comparative study of the problem of open defecation in the districts situated at the West Bengal-Bangladesh border.
http://www.epw.in/…/perspectives/sanitation-west-bengal.html
Bangladesh has used Shame vs. Subsidy as a social marketing strategy to eradicate open defecation.
From EPW magazine:
"The Government of Bangladesh adopted the CLTS approach for its National Sanitation Programme. Using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods, community members evaluate their own sanitation status, including the extent of open defecation and the spread of faecal–oral contamination that detrimentally affects everyone. The CLTS approach ignites a sense of disgust and shame once people collectively realise the adverse impact of open defecation. This realisation mobilises them to initiate collective action to eradicate open defecation and improve the sanitation situation (Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh 2013).
Hence it clearly suggests that proper awareness and literacy among the masses is the factor of utmost importance in order to tackle any social issue. It remains the in the hands of the society to adopt a holistic approach.
Where does the problem lie?
-- Is it with the mindset of our people
-- Is it with the successive governments
I think both these factors contribute equally to this problem. It is only if there is a combined effort from both the people and the government can this issue be resolved. The rural areas have been plagued with the cases of diarrhoeal deaths due to lack of hygiene and improper sanitation. Almost five thousand children die due to diarrhoea every day due to unhygienic sanitation (UN-Water, 2008).
We have all come across a popular interview by Union Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam, where he justifies the hike in the petrol prices to build toilets for the poor in India. Is this a correct justification for the hike in petrol prices. Governments have been launching a lot of schemes for improving the sanitation for the poor, especially in the rural India and have been investing crores of rupees into these projects with negligible improvement in curbing open defecation. So, I think that money is not the problem for such bad performance of these schemes and neither a hike in petrol prices will help build toilets for the poor. The main problem in all these schemes is the lack of deliverability and lack of awareness among the poor about the ill effects of open defecation. Even though if in a panchayat, toilets are built to reduce open defecation, people still prefer to defecate in the open rather than using those toilets. They are not aware of the consequences of unhygienic conditions. Illiteracy is another major factor which has aggravated the whole episode. So, the whole trend of linking money and investment into this problem is of no use unless and until we start from the grass root levels.
A recent development which has been in news is the one related to our neighbour - Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been successful in reducing open defecation to 1%. A country with less per capita income than ours has shown the whole world that a developed status or a higher per capita income is not necessary to make changes in the society. An article in the magazine - Economic & Political Weekly shows a comparative study of the problem of open defecation in the districts situated at the West Bengal-Bangladesh border.
http://www.epw.in/…/perspectives/sanitation-west-bengal.html
Bangladesh has used Shame vs. Subsidy as a social marketing strategy to eradicate open defecation.
From EPW magazine:
"The Government of Bangladesh adopted the CLTS approach for its National Sanitation Programme. Using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) methods, community members evaluate their own sanitation status, including the extent of open defecation and the spread of faecal–oral contamination that detrimentally affects everyone. The CLTS approach ignites a sense of disgust and shame once people collectively realise the adverse impact of open defecation. This realisation mobilises them to initiate collective action to eradicate open defecation and improve the sanitation situation (Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh 2013).
The spectacular improvement in many social development indicators in Bangladesh is aided by the strong presence of NGOs and the density of settlements and their accessibility via an extensive network of rural roads (Wahiduddin et al 2013). Expertise in social marketing is a prerequisite for success in breaking the primary barriers of behaviour and perception. When international NGOs, with expertise in social marketing, work in close collaboration with national or local NGOs, their knowledge and skills in social marketing are transferred to the people working at the grass-roots level. The experience of Bangladesh in sanitation corroborates this strongly, as social marketing has played an important role in improving sanitation in Bangladesh.
Social marketing is a systematic approach to public health problems. It goes beyond marketing. It is not motivated by profit alone but is concerned with achieving a social objective. Social marketing is therefore concerned with how the product is used after the sale has been made. The aim is not simply to sell latrines, for example, but to encourage their correct use and maintenance. (DFID 1998)"Hence it clearly suggests that proper awareness and literacy among the masses is the factor of utmost importance in order to tackle any social issue. It remains the in the hands of the society to adopt a holistic approach.
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