HYDERABAD: Behavioural change among people is important for India to achieve the status of being a country free from open defecation, an issue that continues to be a challenge. People believe sanitation is only for the affluent or those from higher classes.
Though the government has finally been able to build toilets, maintaining them is a major task, observed Mr Sujoy Majumdar, Unicef specialist on the WASH (Water, Sanita-tion and Hygiene) programme. He was in Hyderabad for a conference to brainstorm on India’s status with regard to ODF and the road ahead. Excerpts of a conversation with Deccan Chronicle:
Q What are the challenges in the habit of using toilets?
The assessment since 1990 in India has been that there are not enough toilets. When they are not there, their use by people is out of question. Hence, the effort was to construct toilets first, so that people could get into the habit of using them. Now that 10 crore toilets have been additionally built, along with the earlier six crore of them, people must start using them. For them to start doing so, it is important to spread among them the importance of hygiene, health and sanitation. People require a behavioural change, wherein they should stop thinking that public toilets are unclean. They must be ready to use them. Hence the effort in rural areas has been to make people accept use of public toilets.
Q Now that toilets have been built, will they be maintained or not?
Maintenance of most toilets is with households themselves. But the problem in India is that toilets are looked at differently. People in rural areas believe that those who are affluent use toilets. At the same time, due to caste system, it is believed only a section of people will deal with maintenance and upkeep of toilets. Due to this, there have been barriers in the path of ODF. We are working towards overcoming them.
Q How many more toilets would be required in India?
There are three categories in this list. Areas where toilets are missing, others where toilets have been built but are not functional, and third is category of people who are always on the move. There is no valid data for them. Hence, making India completely free of open defecation will take some more time.
Q In urban areas, like near railways, highways and open places, people can still be openly seen defecating during early mornings. This shows open defecation continues to be a concern in cities too.
Urban constraints are different from those of rural areas. In urban areas, the problem is that toilets constructed are in a very bad condition, or none is able to use them. The other is the mindset, where some people are used to going out. They have a toilet but are not willing to use it. In the south, a majority of households have toilets and they are being used. Hence, cases of open defecation are comparatively less in south when compared to northern parts of India. It is important that people consider a toilet an asset of their life and, accordingly, use it. We have not yet reached that stage.
Q Is there enough water for use in households, where toilets have been built?
Water is not available in all homes, as water distribution systems need to be created. At the same time, the question is whether there is enough water for people. Can so much water be given, as there will be wastage and sewage? This is a cycle, which will have to be worked out along with water conservation and reuse strategy.
Unicef is presently helping central and state government with logistics, technology and innovative models in different local areas to make open-defacation free a success.
