Only a change in mindset and attitude of people would make Tamil Nadu an open defecation-free State. Mere promotion of toilet construction would not bring about the desirable change, said Ajay Sinha, Consultant, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Addressing a meeting on ‘Community approach to sanitation’ for officials here on Monday, he said only a psychological approach would to make people realise that the practice of open defecation was shameful, disgusting and lowered one’s dignity.
Forerunners
Three States — Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala — had become open defecation-free. Dindigul could attain that status in 90 days if all departments converged and concentrated only on this programme, Mr. Sinha said.
“Our country is experiencing this problem for the past 400 years only. Personal cleanliness and safe disposal of wastes find a mention in Vedas and were practised in Harappan civilisation too. Unfortunately, 70 per cent of people in the country are practising open defecation whereas it is one per cent in Bangladesh and 20 per cent in Nepal,” he said.
Mere total sanitation programmes alone would not result in making a place open defecation-free. It could be borne by the fact that though the Central government implemented Central Rural Sanitation Programme (1986), Total Sanitation Programme (1999), Nirmal Bharat Abhyan (2003), Nirmal Gram Puraskar programme (2006) and Swachh Bharat Mission (2014), the practice could not be stopped. Ironically, 96 per cent of panchayats that won Nirmal Puraskar awards were not open defecation-free any more.
Only one per cent of Indians had toilet at home in 1947 and a mere 0.25 per cent of the people used it. In 1998, two per cent had toilet at home and 0.75 per cent of them used it. In 1999, 29 per cent of houses had a toilet and five per cent used it. In 2011, 70 per cent had constructed toilets and they were used by 25 per cent of them. By 2016, 80 per cent of the houses had a toilet and 30 per cent of them used it. So, construction of toilets alone would not stop people from practising open defecation.
Officials absent
Freebies had made people shameless, lazy and dependent on government for their own development. They should realise that it was their responsibility to stop open defecation, said Mr. Sinha who expressed concern over absence of Pollution Control Board, Fisheries and Forest Department officials at the meeting.
