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toILEtS ConStRuCtED
Hara spent the first few days analysing
the MIS data available with the local Swachh l Till March 2017: 79,334
Bharat Mission-Gramin office to understand
how Goalpara’s 81 gram panchayats (GPs) l Till March 2018: 110,623
had progressed in terms of toilet coverage,
and shared the results with the Deputy
Commissioner (DC) in charge: “Looking at the SBM Director to highlight gaps and the
the red bars (denoting poor progress), he support required. The dismal strength of
asked me to further explore the issues in those swachhagrahis was also of concern — 144
blocks and GPs and present a report.” against a 788 required for the entire district.
The DC put this information out on the For awareness building, Hara brought
local SBM-G WhatsApp group that had the in students of sociology and social work
executive engineer, junior engineers, section from the University of Science, Technology
officers, project consultants and others. Thanks & Management in Meghalaya as interns.
to this, Hara says he came to know of official Working in teams, they conducted
meetings and field events where he would land awareness and hand-wash activities in
up, often uninvited, to observe what was going schools, and involved Village Development
on and chat up villagers about the issues on Committees to ensure that cleanliness
ground. But things were still moving slowly. was maintained through nigrani samitis.
Three months later, when the State People were also taken to Goalpara’s model
Mission Director in Guwahati met up with village Rangsapara — declared the cleanest
Assam’s ZSBPs and took stock, the message in Assam — for inspiration. Getting more
went across that ZSBPs were here to help, swachhagrahis on board and organising
and the situation began to change. Hara was construction through local NGOs further
asked to regularly track toilet construction helped ramp up toilet coverage.
and geo-tagging numbers and present those to Rangjuli and Kushdowa became ODF
senior officials in the monthly District Water by February 2018, followed by other districts.
and Sanitation Committee review meetings. The number of swachhagrahis in Goalpara
The DC also began marking his comments grew to 281, and the entire district was
to the concerned officials, and accountability declared ODF by end of March 2018 with
went up. nearly 100% geo-tagging completed.
Now posted in adjoining South
MAking A difference Salmara-Mankachar district, a more
Hara focused his efforts on the two blocks confident Hara is contemplating a future
with the least coverage – Rangjuli (66.4%) in policy advocacy: “In 10-15 years, I want
and Kushdowa (58.6%) – making regular field to be part of an agency or run my own
visits on his motorbike. “I found a huge gap organisation, helping youth work towards
in linkage between the district administration change.” Hara has evidently come a long
and local village bodies,” he says. way from being an introvert while growing
The first measure was to get the Gram up. “I didn’t have the courage to stand and
Pradhans to demand funds required to present before someone. Now I try to meet
complete the toilet targets, while Hara made new people, telling myself, “Let’s see what
presentations to the Executive Engineer and happens,” says a smiling Hara. ˜

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