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AIDED By tHE fLow
Two things that coincided with Soumit’s
deployment helped him in his endeavours. toILEtS ConStRuCtED
One, the state government entrusted
implementation of SBM–G to the June 2017: 38 lakh
Department of Panchayati Raj. That meant August 2018: 50 lakh
decentralisation of power in favour of
the districts for financial and process
organisation. A direct corollary of this
was the increased emphasis on initiating
a community-led movement towards when listing the achievements of the ZSBP
sanitation. Another positive development team. In the baseline survey, 200,000 toilets
was the appointment of Roopa Mishra as the were recorded as dysfunctional, or in a state
Mission Director to lead Odisha’s SBM-G of decay or disrepair.
team. Ms Mishra immediately pencilled in Approximately 130,000 dysfunctional
Soumit as an ally in the scheme of things. toilets have been converted into functional
Buoyed by Ms Mishra’s support and ones since April 2017. Geo-tagging, which
favourable policy changes, Soumit set out to is the process of identification of the toilets
change the course of implementation at the by uploading their photographs to the
grassroots level. His first task was to remove Swachh Bharat portal, has gone up from
the mistrust surrounding the preraks. He 48% in April 2017 to 74% in July 2018. The
persuaded the state-level secretaries to put number of swachhagrahis has increased
in a favourable word for the preraks with the from a paltry 2,500 in June 2017 to 22,600
district administration. Along with in August 2018.
Ms Mishra, he met District Collectors (DC) Soumit has contributed significantly to
to ensure that the preraks could function with bringing in a culture of trend identification
more freedom. Gradually, with their efforts, through data analysis. It has helped in
the preraks gained acceptance within the introducing course corrections wherever
SBM-G team. required. The contribution of the ZSBP
The next task was to spur the district team towards making the state open
personnel into action. Soumit devised a defecation free (ODF) has led to the team
ranking system which provided the DCs with being vested with increased responsibilities
a picture of where the blocks in their districts in the form of ODF +, which includes
ranked on various parameters. It helped the menstrual hygiene management, solid-
DCs to motivate their personnel towards liquid resource management and toilet
better performance by inducing healthy sustainability initiatives.
competition within the districts. “My core purpose of life is to leave this
planet a bit better than what I inherited,
A tEAM PERfoRMAnCE and I am sincere about achieving it,” reads
“As a team, our biggest success has been a part of Soumit’s profile. True to his core
in rectification of dysfunctional toilets, purpose, he is leading his team of preraks
implementation of geo-tagging and increasing on a journey of transformation of Odisha’s
the number of foot soldiers,” says Soumit sanitation landscape. ˜

TATA WATER MISSION - A Tata Trusts Initiative 11