140
P. K. Jha and V. Sharma
Graph 4 Performance in
IEC indicators (in
percentage)
100
75
50
25
0
94
71
Practice of Hand
washing through
soaps
Knowledge of
SBM
Performance in IEC
Indicators (in %)
in the open. Lack of water availability near the toilets also compels the people to
defecate near the water sources. Therefore, percentage of toilet usage ranged between
33 to 100% of the toilet availability though average of the same was 92%.
Various indicators that show the extent and the impact of IEC activities did not
prove to be as satisfactory as previously presumed. People in some villages are still
washing hands with animal dung, infant waste is still thrown as garbage or in open
drains, and the knowledge of the Swachh Bharat Mission is alarmingly limited. Even
though Anganwadis maintain that periodic meetings on cleanliness and sanitation
do happen, people at large disagree with this. Therefore, the scope of improvement
in IEC is immense and should be looked at to tackle the challenge of making people
incorporate good sanitation practices in their daily lives.
Two slums, each with a population of more than 500, were seen where the entire
population did not use the toilet. The reasons for the same were distressing. Only
one temporary toilet was available to these people with a capacity of 2–4 seats only.
The cleanliness of these toilets was pathetic and unfit for everyday use. This made
it difficult for people to use them and they preferred going out on the railway tracks
or open fields.
In Vasundhara Sector-8, the slum dwellers were coerced into using toilets due to
imposition of heavy fines up to 1000 rupees. Therefore, even though they did have a
lack of toilets, they were forced to stand in long queues in the morning as they could
not afford to pay the fine. In such slums, though going out for defecation is rare, this
practice is subjected to fall back to pre-existing conditions as soon as the imposition
of fine is withdrawn.
In most slums, the lack of toilets, and not the lack of awareness on the importance
of toilets, was the major reason why people could not use them.
It is, therefore, of extreme importance that more toilets are constructed for the
people of these slums, if the district truly wants to be open defecation free.
The cleanliness of villages, in terms of cleanliness of streets and drains was
commendable; however, the same was not true for the slums. In a slum situated in
Shakti Khand area of Vasundhara, a three-year-old child was drowned to death in an
P. K. Jha and V. Sharma
Graph 4 Performance in
IEC indicators (in
percentage)
100
75
50
25
0
94
71
Practice of Hand
washing through
soaps
Knowledge of
SBM
Performance in IEC
Indicators (in %)
in the open. Lack of water availability near the toilets also compels the people to
defecate near the water sources. Therefore, percentage of toilet usage ranged between
33 to 100% of the toilet availability though average of the same was 92%.
Various indicators that show the extent and the impact of IEC activities did not
prove to be as satisfactory as previously presumed. People in some villages are still
washing hands with animal dung, infant waste is still thrown as garbage or in open
drains, and the knowledge of the Swachh Bharat Mission is alarmingly limited. Even
though Anganwadis maintain that periodic meetings on cleanliness and sanitation
do happen, people at large disagree with this. Therefore, the scope of improvement
in IEC is immense and should be looked at to tackle the challenge of making people
incorporate good sanitation practices in their daily lives.
Two slums, each with a population of more than 500, were seen where the entire
population did not use the toilet. The reasons for the same were distressing. Only
one temporary toilet was available to these people with a capacity of 2–4 seats only.
The cleanliness of these toilets was pathetic and unfit for everyday use. This made
it difficult for people to use them and they preferred going out on the railway tracks
or open fields.
In Vasundhara Sector-8, the slum dwellers were coerced into using toilets due to
imposition of heavy fines up to 1000 rupees. Therefore, even though they did have a
lack of toilets, they were forced to stand in long queues in the morning as they could
not afford to pay the fine. In such slums, though going out for defecation is rare, this
practice is subjected to fall back to pre-existing conditions as soon as the imposition
of fine is withdrawn.
In most slums, the lack of toilets, and not the lack of awareness on the importance
of toilets, was the major reason why people could not use them.
It is, therefore, of extreme importance that more toilets are constructed for the
people of these slums, if the district truly wants to be open defecation free.
The cleanliness of villages, in terms of cleanliness of streets and drains was
commendable; however, the same was not true for the slums. In a slum situated in
Shakti Khand area of Vasundhara, a three-year-old child was drowned to death in an