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toILEt CovERAgE

       tIME foR ACtIon                         April 2017: 53%
       David got permission to convert a part of   June 2018: 84%
       the PHED office into his team’s work hub.
       This meant arranging everything from new
       furniture to computers and a wi-fi connection.
       The team now had its task cut out.
           Despite being just a couple of hours away
       by road from the state capital of Guwahati,
       toilet coverage across Darrang’s 75 gram
       panchayats (GPs) stood at 53%. The Direct
       Benefit Transfer (DBT) model of releasing the
       incentive money hadn’t worked in Darrang
       as the beneficiaries weren’t willing to spend
       out of their pocket and wait for months to be   For an MBA, David has found being a prerak so
       reimbursed. Instead, over 300 intermediaries   satisfying, that he is now set to take charge of the
       such as NGOs and Self Help Groups (SHGs)   adjoining Barpeta district
       have been constructing toilets on their behalf,
       and claiming the incentive.           CRACKIng tHE fInAL MILE
           David also observed that out of the   These efforts have resulted in 1,09,462 toilets
       55,000-odd toilets that had been constructed   being built till date, with 223 out of Darrang’s
       so far, around 16,000 (29%) had been geo-  552 villages becoming open defecation free
       tagged, and this was done by the respective   (ODF). In fact, David and his team have
       NGOs and SHGs themselves. This defeated the   managed to add as many toilets (54,572) in
       purpose of geo-tagging and verification.  around 15 months, as were cumulatively added
           David hired a few unemployed young   in the preceding three years of the SBM-G.
       graduates as the first batch of Swachhagrahis to   With the help of 172 active Swachhagrahis,
       complete the verification process. Apart from   over 78% of these new toilets have also been
       regular awareness activities such as street plays   geo-tagged.
       and school handwash campaigns, the Darrang   Meanwhile, he has been trying to arrange
       SBM-G team came up with an innovative   smaller cash advances for beneficiaries so
       campaign using local folk artists to accelerate   that they take greater ownership of toilet
       the pace of the programme. Moving around   construction and its usage on a sustained
       villages in teams and using four traditional arts   basis. The first such case of DBT for SBM-G
       — Ojapali, Deodhani Nritya, Dhepa Dhol and   in Assam is being rolled out in Turai village of
       Nangelee – the folks artists convey the message   Sipajhar block.
       of safe sanitation practices and hygiene through   While he is set to take charge of the
       drama and songs. Because of the emotional   adjoining Barpeta district soon, David has
       connect that Darrang’s indigenous people have   much bigger plans of his own. An organic
       with these art forms, this communication route   farming project is on the cards to revive
       is proving effective, and in more ways than one.   interest in agriculture and provide new
       “These are dying art forms, which we are trying   employment opportunities for Assam’s urban-
       to revive. It also provides a livelihood to these   led job seekers. “I want to pull back youth
       people,” David adds.                  from the cities,” he says. ˜


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