India: Bollywood actress becomes national sanitation brand ambassador

Vidya Balan, who received the Best Actress National Film Award for her role in 2011 Bollywood hit ‘The Dirty Picture’, will now play a role to alter the real dirty picture in India. Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has named the Bollywood actress as the brand ambassador in his campaign for improving sanitation [1].

According to India’s 2011 census, nearly half of population have no toilet at home, but more people own a mobile phone [2]. There are 2.1 million toilets in India which rely on manual scavengers to empty them [1].

The Minister hopes that Balan can help turn his campaign to end open defecation into a national obsession:

“it is going to be a very serious commitment on her part – she’s had a dirty picture in reel life, but this will be a clean picture in real life”. [1]

India: achieving sustainable sanitation – lessons from civil society experiences [report]

A new report [1] by Arghyam highlights the outcomes of research and discussions on the experiences of civil society organisations involved in implementing sustainable sanitation campaigns in India.

Several concerns were raised during the discussions on the the manner in which the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) was being implemented, followed by identification of steps that were needed to ensure social, technical, institutional, financial and environmental sustainability of the programme.

India, Uttar Pradesh: sense and sanitation – a model village in the Total Sanitation Campaign

A small Muslim village in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has served as a model for others to achieve total sanitation by empowering women.

In 2006, the village of Shahpur Jot Yusuf (2,300 inhabitants) in Bahraich district received a President’s Award for achieving 100% sanitation. The campaign and motivation techniques were replicated in 16 other villages in Bahraich. In 2009, all 16 villages were also awarded a President’s Award.

It all began with one woman in the village and one civil society organisation, the Baraich-based Development Association for Human Development (DEHAT), a UN Millennium Campaign partner. Recalls Jitendra Chaturvedi, Chief Executive, DEHAT, “I was shocked to see that the distance between the makeshift dry latrines that were in most homes earlier and the kitchen hearths was just three feet apart. What was worse, the excreta was disposed manually, with no proper sewage or plumbing. Sweepers had to perform this demeaning task. The filth was dumped in a nearby pond, which was just 30 feet deep and the dirty water inevitably seeped into drinking water sources, contaminating them as well.”

Even the village women observed “purdah” (segregation from men), Chaturvedi and his colleagues “were convinced that if Shahpur Jot had to be transformed, the women had to play a pivotal role”. DEHAT founds its champion in the pradhan, or village head, Shakila Bano (45), who realised that she and the other women would had to give up her ‘burqa’ if they wanted to improve their living conditions.

Once the idea that they could make a difference caught on, Shakila and her band of women were eager to do everything they possibly could to transform their living environs. The situation was indeed dismal. The open drains were full of blood and refuse from local slaughter houses and the pond was overflowing with faecal matter.

Slowly, the urge to see this village of 2,500 people clean and healthy became everybody’s goal. Shahpur Jot’s 300 homes all have a toilet today. In fact, one family which has a physically challenged daughter has built a special toilet with handles so that the child would have no problem in using it. The sewage system is similar to the flush toilets in urban homes, with septic tanks to collect the waste.

The impact of this initiative on the local administration was quite considerable. The authorities were taken aback when DEHAT informed the officers who came to inspect the sanitation facilities that it had cost a paltry Rs 500 to construct one toilet per home.

“The DM could not believe that it could be done so cheap. We assured him that it could even be done totally free. In a village that thrives on farming vegetables and fruits, each household contributed Rs 3,000-4,000 (US$1=Rs 46.8) for the toilets. We also received support from the government under the Samagra Gram Vikas Yojna (a state-funded scheme that gave grants to villages through the local MLAs) so that our campaign could carry on undeterred. A sum of Rs 10,00,000 was allocated for this purpose,” says Chaturvedi.

Better hygiene and sanitary facilities improved children’s and women’s health: medical bills came down and women suffered less from gynaecological problems because they could relieve themselves whenever they wanted in privacy.

Eight Self Help Groups were created and women were informed about child care, personal hygiene, and how to help keep their surroundings clean. Discussions on these issues figured in the monthly meetings held in the village and a Health Day was observed in the local school, together with projects on the importance of proper sanitation

One of the first problems tackled was the slaughtering of animals in the lanes of the village. Open slaughter was banned and the open drains were covered.

Change always brings in more change. Today, every girl in Shahpur Jot attends school. In order to encourage girls to study further, bicycles were bought and the girls trained to ride them. Many of the older girls now cycle together in groups to attend high school in an adjoining village. Interestingly, they have also taken a pledge not to marry into homes that don’t have their own toilets!

Contact: Jitendra Chaturvedi, DEHAT, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, e-mail: dehatvo@gmail.com

Source: Anjali Singh,Womens Feature Service / News Blaze, 14 Jul 2010 ; Jitendra Chaturvedi, UNews / UN Millennium Campaign, 05 Mar 2010

India: revision of unit cost of toilets for schools and kindergartens under Total Sanitation Campaign

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the increase in the revision of unit cost of a school toilet unit being constructed under the government’s Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) from existing Rs.20,000 [US$ 431] to Rs.35,000 [US$ 754] (Rs. 38,500 [US$ 829] for difficult and hilly areas). The CCEA has also approved the increase in the revision of unit cost of Anganwadi [kindergarten] toilets being constructed under the TSC from existing Rs.5000 [US$ 108] to Rs.8000 [US$ 172] (Rs. 10,000 [US$ 215] for difficult and hilly areas).

There will be no change in the funding pattern and it will remain same as 70% by centre and 30% by State. The revision in unit cost of School Toilets and Anganwadi Toilets will have an additional financial expenditure of Rs.353.74 crore [US$ 76.2 million] for the Central Government. The increase in unit costs will enable construction of good quality toilets as per plan and specifications. The revised unit costs will be made effective from 1st of April 2010.

The revision in the unit costs of school and anganwadi toilets is expected to accelerate the pace of construction of these toilets. It is expected that all the rural government schools and anganwadis shall get covered with sanitation facilities by March 2011.

The Government has so far constructed 9.97 lakh [997,000] school toilet units and 3.32 lakh [332,000] anganwadi toilets under TSC against a target of 13.04 lakh [1.304 million] school toilet units and 4.65 lakh [465,000] anganwadi toilets units respectively. Construction of the remaining toilets totalling to around 3.07 lakh [307,000] school toilet units and 1.33 lakh [133,000] anganwadi toilets is expected to be expedited with the revised unit cost norms.

Related web sites:

• India – Total Sanitation Campaign
• WASH in Schools

Source: PIB, 24 Jun 2010

India: impact of sanitation award scheme to be assessed

The government will assess the impact and sustainability of the Nirmal Gram Puraskar (Clean Village Award) scheme implemented between 2005-2008. The Department of Drinking Water Supply under the Ministry of Rural Development will conduct a survey, based on a methodology that it developed with UNICEF, in 12 states*.

The objective is to assess the impact of NGP [Nirmal Gram Puraskar] on the pace of progress of sanitation availability and usage in the country under TSC [Total Sanitation Campaign] and its related impacts on health, education, gender empowerment, social inclusion in rural areas on different user groups particularly the rural poor. This study will also assess the durability and sustainability on the provision and usage of sanitary facilities over time. The rational of this evaluation study will be to provide important evidence on the NGP component of the TSC. The Study will provide a national level report on assessment of impact of NGP.

The Government of India introduced the NGP incentive scheme in 2003 under its Total Sanitation Campaign to reward local government institutions at village, block and district level, that had achieved full sanitation coverage (for households, schools and day-care centres) and were declared open defecation free.

* States to be covered in NGP assessment survey

Source: DDWS

A 2008 UNICEF study on NGP villages found high levels of non-use of toilets (34%), and that only 34% of schools had separate toilets for girls and boys. In most villages the study found a “severe drop in efforts towards social mobilisation and monitoring of ODF status after the NGP award has been received. This has resulted in slippage of ODF status in many GPs and is a serious concern with respect to sustainability”.

Source: PIB, 13 May 2010 ; DDWS/Ministry of Rural Development, 11 May 2010 ; India Sanitation Portal – Nirmal Gram Puraskar

India, Karnataka: 3.3 million toilets in next two years

The State government will construct 33 lakh (3.3. million) toilets in the next two years, announced Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar on 28 January 2010.

The drive will be taken up in villages under the “Sampoorna Svachatha Andolan” (Total Sanitation Campaign) with the help of NGOs and Stree Shakti Groups, Shettar said while participating in the “Nirmala Gram” award function at Raj Bhavan in Bangalore. It is a national award accorded to gram panchayats (village councils) for achieving total sanitation. The State government had recommended as many as 500 gram panchayats to the Centre for the award, however, only 245 were short-listed by the Union government, the minister said.

Shettar said he would discuss with the Chief Minister on the possibility of providing State awards to the remaining gram panchayats.

Bangalore rural had the maximum number of gram panchayats in the award list (40), Gulbarga and Raichur drew a blank. Governor H R Bhardwaj was also present at the award distribution ceremony.

The function was jointly organised by the Rural Department and Panchayat Raj Department and the Karnataka Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency.

Source: DHNS, Deccan Herald, 28 Jan 2010

India, Manipur: total sanitation programme to cover 263,000 families

The afternoon session of the second day Bharat Nirman campaign held at Panthoibi Lampak started with a speech by Swamikanta Director Communication and Capacity Development Unit (CCDU) attached to the Public Health Engineering Department Government of Manipur, in northeastern India. He said under the total sanitation campaign launched by the department 20,476 toilets have been constructed in Manipur break up being 11,513 for those belonging to BPL (Below Poverty Line) families and 8963 belonging to APL (Above Poverty Line) out of 263,254.  111 sanitary complexes have been constructed out of 386. 

He also said 1602 toilets for Government schools have been constructed. The target set to be covered is 3919 Government schools, he added. He said every family having six persons is entitled to get one toilet.

If the family members exceed six persons they will be entitled to receive more toilets. He said the main objects of the Total sanitary campaign are to bring about an improvement in the general quality of the life in rural areas, accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to enable them have access to toilets to all by 2012 and to motivate communities and panchayat institutions promoting sustainable sanitation facilities through awareness creation and health education among other things.

Every year Nirmal Gram Puraskar Award is bestowed to the Panchayat which can have maximum number of toilets constructed in his area.  The award for the year 2008 went to Gram Panchayat Maklang and the award for the year 2009 was bagged by Utlou Gram Panchayat. The aim and objects for institution of the award are to make total sanitation programme a success.

A BPL can get the facility of having free toilet by depositing just Rs 300 [US$ 6.50), he also said. He informed the gathering that ecosan toilets will be constructed as an experiment in Manipur. In this case the human excreta will be used for useful purposes. On being pointed out that while some persons get the benefit of the Government programmes of constructing free toilets the others do not get the prestige of getting one, he rebuked saying this is total sanitary programme wherein the question of leaving applications do not arise. 

K. Kullachandra Consultant CCDU, PHED Manipur also participated in the discussion. He recited a poem that encouraged the masses to pay the thrust in the construction of toilets.

Source: PIB, KanglaOnline,

India, Himachal Pradesh: school sanitation reward scheme launched

The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh has launched the ‘School Sanitation Reward’ Scheme, under which, Government Primary and Middle Schools would get Block and District level prizes.

First cash prize would be of Rs 50,000 [US$ 1,100] at District level along-with a commendation certificate and momento at both Primary and Middle level while two prizes would be given at block level. First cash prize would be Rs 20,000 rupees [US$ 430] and second prize would be of Rs 10,000 [US$ 215] at block level for both school levels. Speaking at launch, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that this Rs 62 lakh [US$ 134,000] scheme was initiated to create competitiveness and awareness about sanitation amongst school children.

Mr. Thakur said Himachal Pradesh was one of few states where over 90 per cent achievement had been made in individual household latrines. He said the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), launched from District Sirmaur in the year 1999-2000 was now being implemented in all the 12 districts of the State. Mr Thakur said total plan expenditure of TSC is Rs 149.62 crore [US$ 32.4 million] of which Central Government’s share is Rs. 99.48 crore [US$ 21.5 million] , the State share is Rs 37.70 crore [US$ 8.15 million] while the beneficiary share is Rs 12.43 crore [US$ 2.7 million].

Rs 35.23 crore [US$ 7.6 million] had been spent till 30th November 2009 under TSC, he added.

He said the Central Government had fixed the target of achieving Total Sanitation by the year 2012 but the State Government had made it 2010 to declare Himachal Pradesh a Nirmal State. Two new schemes namely ‘Maharishi Balmiki Sampuran Swatchhta Yojna’ and ‘Mahila Mandal Protsahan Yojna’ launched in the year 2008, had geared up the sanitation programme in the hill state. The Rural Development Minister said the School Sanitation Reward Scheme would be implemented by the Rural Development Department and Education Department while the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP South Asia) would provide the support. He said State had made steady progress during last few years in sanitation as there was nil Niramal Gram Purskar in 2005 and 22 panchayats had got it in 2006-07 and this figure rose to 245 in the year 2007-08 while it reached to 267 in the year 2008-09. Principal Secretary, Education P.C. Dhiman said about 70 percent Government Schools have toilet facilities.

Read full details of the “Reward Scheme for the Cleanest Primary and Middle schools in Himachal Pradesh at Block and District Level under the Total Sanitation Campaign”.

Source: UNI / WebIndia123.com, 03 Dec 2009 / Govt. of Himachal Pradesh, 03 Dec 2009

India: use pour flush system in toilets to save water, UNICEF

UNICEF has called for promoting Pour Flush System in toilets stating it is far better than the traditional Tank Flush System as it saves water.

Water Environment Sanitation (WES) specialist from UNICEF, Amit Mehrotra, said this in a press conference on Total Sanitation Campaign in Lucknow, India.

He said a large quantity of water gest wasted in the old Flush Tank System in urban areas. To preserve water, Pour Flush System should be promoted in the country.

”More than 65 per cent people go outside for defecation in our country and without changing this picture, we cannot even think about the healthy India,” Mr Mehrotra said.

He added that UNICEF has set a target with government’s collaboration to construct two crore [20 million] toilets in rural areas. One crore [10 millon] toilets have been constructed so far.

”We do not have enough trained workers to construct such toilets. As per the requirement, at least one trained worker is needed in one village to reach the target but we have only 16 per cent trained workers till date,” said Mr Mehrotra.

He said UNICEF has worked on sanitation in 10 districts of Varansai region.

Source: UNI / Netdial123.com, 23 Oct 2009

Pakistan: launch of Total Sanitation Campaign

Plan to launch ‘Saaf Suthra Pakistan Programme’

Ministry of Environment along with its partners is working on a comprehensive plan to launch ‘Saaf Suthra (clean) Pakistan Programme’ that envisages total sanitation all across the country to achieve the Millennium Development Goals targets.

Sources at the ministry told APP that allocations would be made for the programme over the next five years to achieve the total sanitation target.

“The ‘Saaf Suthra Pakistan Programme’ will have a phased approach for creating demand through communication and capacity development units in each province,” sources said.

“The programme will also include surveys and mapping for component sharing in selective TMAs and setting up of provincial social mobilisation units to scale up community and school led approaches,” sources added.

Experts at the two-day Pakistan Conference on Sanitation (PACOSAN) a couple of days back had also recommended multiple approaches to focus on the ‘Clean Pakistan Programme’.

It was also proposed during the conference that Rs12.5 billion would be allocated to execute the programme over the next five years, as the environment minister had set a target of total sanitation for all by 2015.

Sources also mentioned that setting up of ‘Rural Sanitation Marts’ in selected tehsils, provision of revolving funds and micro-finance, special consideration for the poorest of the poor, and coverage enhancement of public toilets are other features of the programme.

NGOs would be involved to develop, test, document, and replicate successful models for total sanitation, and solid and liquid waste management, the sources added.

Mentioning the guiding principles of the National Sanitation Action Plan, sources said that open defecation would be unacceptable and there should be an inclusive participatory development.

The total sanitation concept would be adapted with improved sanitation provided to all and focus would be on productive infrastructure only, ensuring that no one is exposed to the risks of unconfined ‘human excreta’ and solid waste. Progress would be accelerated to achieve health benefits and coordinate efforts within a framework of mutual accountability.

Sources also mentioned to improve governance, reward collective outcomes, incentives for producing performance information and support IEC for collective behavioural change.

See also: Call for Total Sanitation in Pakistan by 2015, WSSCC and the press releases issued by Pakistan’s Minsitry of Environment on the PACOSAN here and here.

Source: The News, Pakistan, 31 May 2009