We have been hearing a lot about, Digital India,Smart Citites and Swatch Bharat etc, statistics indicate that 60 percent of all the houses in rural India are without toilets. Despite rising incomes and living standards, from India's two decade old economic boom, still has an estimated 626 million people who live in houses without toilets, which means that nearly half of India's population practice " Open Defecation".
In 1990 , in Latur an earth quake affected area Govt built all the new houses having separate 'Lavatories' unlike the attached ones in urban agglomeration. But it is ironic that all Lavatories' have been converted as store rooms, while people as usual resorted to open defecation. This clearly shows The Govt at that time had pumped Rs 450 crores for the construction of toilets and out of which only about 40 percent toilets have been used for other purposes.
In India urination and spitting in open places is also very common, besides open defecation and if it is to be changed, it requires the change in the mindset and it also requires some sort of awareness in rural areas. Keeping all this at the back of his mind, perhaps, Mr Modi , introduced " SwatchaBhatat Abhiyan" as this is not only limited to toilets, it covers entire gamut related to cleanliness.Cases of " Dengue" are on rise in Delhi, due to mosquito menace and all the Govt hospitals are flooded with Dengue cases. All the Govt hospitals are very dirty with shabby maintainence. These waterborne diseases are caused due to lack of safe drinking water and proper sanitation. This clearly shows how successful is Swatcha Bharat Abhiyan in our capital city like New Delhi. Another report states that only 58.82 percent of schools have separate toilets for girls and some schools have only one toilet, which is more often very dirty and unclean. A tragic incident in " Dunka" in Jharkhand, where a teenaged girl ended her life by hanging herself because, her parents refused to build an indoor toilet only amplifies the gravity of the situation.
The entire Govt, machinery has to take part, right from Grampanchayat level to Central Govt ,in providing facilities and educating them to make to make use of those facilities. In this type of revolution, the parties are public/people and the Govts, have to religiously follow to achieve the targets. Our civic authorities are very callous and lethargic, which is the main reason for this mosquito menace.The resources crunch, also may be one of the reasons, for failure of authorities, but the negligence on the part of the staff concerned, is unpardonable.Swatcha Bharat Abhiyan" started in the year 2014 but it looks that it has some inherent problems.Critics suggest that, the installation of toilets is done without consulting the users ,and that is the recipe for the unused toilets and that is because the human software - psychology is main important, than the hardware, when it comes to, persuading people to change a habit.
The importance of having toilets was highlighted in Prime Minister's first Independence Day speech. He said that the Govt would ensure to provide toilets to all within 4 years," we are in the 21 century and yet there is no dignity for women as they have to go out in the open to defecate and they have to wait for the darkness, to relieve themselves. Modi in his speech said development and progress as such is nothing if you can not ensure the dignity and respect of the millions of people especially women in India.
In this connection it is relevant to mention here, that providing toilets to one and but making the rural masses to use them is another big affair. We are seeing Railways provide toilets but we all know how shabbily, they are being used by our own people. The same is the case with toilets near bus stations and other public places. Infact for all this people are also responsible for its proper use, which shows our culture and it is required to fight for it seriously.
