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received little support from local self-help
groups, and there were no swachhagrahis either
to help with field-level activity. No wonder,
they had achieved less than a third of the
targeted coverage of households with toilets.
Aishwarya realised that a development
partner agency was sorely needed to ramp Aishwarya and her team used fear as a
up the field force and train them for the job. motivator and sensitised Nalanda’s residents
She was eventually able to rope in Unicef and about the ill-effects of poor sanitation
Uttarakhand-based GIWA (Global Interfaith
WASH Alliance) to help hire, train and deploy toilets at home. These children were made to
712 swachhagrahis on the CLTS (community write a postcard addressed to their parents,
led total sanitation) and PRA (participatory appealing to them to construct toilets in their
rural appraisal) models to drive behavioural homes. This kind of societal pressure worked
change among Nalanda’s residents. very well in driving up toilet construction and
However, since people weren’t willing to its use in Nalanda’s households.
fund toilet construction in the early stages, it
was clear that the standard awareness route AWAkening Minds
wasn’t going to be very effective. Aishwarya These activities had the desired impact over
and her team decided to use fear as a motivator the past one year. From 30% toilet coverage
instead, sensitising Nalanda’s residents to the at the end of March 2017, Nalanda now has
ill-effects of poor sanitation on their health and nearly 80% households with toilets. More
well-being. With the support of the District than the numbers, though, it is the heightened
Magistrate, Aishwarya and the Swachh Bharat level of awareness among villagers about
Mission (SBM) team organised a variety of sanitation and health that’s striking. “We now
outreach campaigns around this premise. feel ashamed to even think about defecating in
For example, the ‘Bhai Number 1’ the open as we know its dangers,” says Sanjeet
campaign encouraged brothers to construct Kumar, a farmer from Adampur village.
toilets for their sisters, and they received Aishwarya, whose tenure has been
recognition from the district administration extended by another six months, says the
for doing so. The ‘Sharamsaar Yatra’ (Walk of ZSBP experience has been enriching. “I have
Shame) sent a powerful message to people who understood how a developmental scheme is
went out to defecate. In this campaign, people carried out; the deciding factors behind its
were taken back to the spot where they had success or failure; the influence of community
defecated, and they were told how they were ownership in the sustainability of toilets
practically consuming their own excreta which and their usage; the power of information,
could be transmitted on to their food by flies. education and communication; and most
The ‘Zidd Karo’ campaign in government importantly, the influence of the SBM in
schools had teachers drawing up on the bringing about positive change in the lives
blackboard a list of students who didn’t have of millions.”
toILEt
CoVERAGE: l Till March 2017: 30% l Till March 2018: 79.5%
TATA WATER MISSION - A Tata Trusts InitiativeTATA WATER MISSION - A Tata Trusts Initiative 5 5