Closing Access Loop: Situating Post-infrastructural Assurance …
79
open defecation. Communication strategies did impact latrine rebuilding but only
when the focus lied on long-term mediation and follow up once the latrines are
built (Mosler et al. 2018). Along the similar lines, a recent empirical evaluation
by Yogananth and Bhatnagar (2018) conducted in southern India revealed 55% of
the households slipping back to relieving themselves in open. Family dynamics, pits
size, water availability, absence of toilet roof, initiation of toilet use at later age being
the primary determinants behind the decline. The practice still persists, despite 90%
of the households were exposed to government-initiated sensitization programs like
advertisements, wall painting, posters, and regular sanitation meetings.
4 Efforts Made by Other Countries in Arresting
the Situation
It could be inferred that getting rid of human waste is necessary to ensure sustainable use of toilets. There is not only low awareness and priority in robust responses
dealing with safe disposal of excreta but in practice, it is unwittingly deemed as a
prerogative of urban region (National Policy on Fecal Sludge and Septage Management 2017). Although there is much conceptualizing on solid waste management as
well as non-sewered options for fecal disposal in rural areas right from last decade,
yet there is hardly any exclusive initiative being taken up at a larger scale for meting
out exclusive addressal of the same. There has been no mention of solid and liquid
waste management in policy discourse till 2005 (Alok 2010), thereby not realizing
that other aspects of the sanitation life cycle may require concurrent policy responses
alongside building of toilets. Cairncross (2003), argues that communities fare far better in lowering the incidences of diarrhea and trachoma with better prospects of living
which have sound fecal sludge management policies as opposed to those which do
not. It has been reported that every one in five Indian, lack adequate means for excreta
disposal.
Insights could be drawn from neighboring countries which have already received
open defecation free status and have begun working along the further rungs of sanitation value chain. There have been serious efforts made in arresting the situation in
other countries. For instance, in Rwanda, political leadership, and commitment called
for strong water and sanitation policy in line with poverty reduction and economic
development. Secondly, in Indonesia the slippage rate is 14.5% and the government
has a holistic approach—legislation, financing, human resource capacity, and supply
chains in guaranteeing enabling factors for sustainable sanitation services. In recently
conducted studies in Indonesia, sustainability of services is mapped by measuring
direct indicators like path to the toilet, visible anal cleaning material, detection of
feces, wet slabs, etc., as well as self-reported observations (Ekane et al. 2014; Odagiri
et al. 2017).
Balasubramanya et al. (2016, 2017) contend use and reuse are inextricably linked
to emptying of pits of the region which has single pit toilets. Bangladesh has achieved
79
open defecation. Communication strategies did impact latrine rebuilding but only
when the focus lied on long-term mediation and follow up once the latrines are
built (Mosler et al. 2018). Along the similar lines, a recent empirical evaluation
by Yogananth and Bhatnagar (2018) conducted in southern India revealed 55% of
the households slipping back to relieving themselves in open. Family dynamics, pits
size, water availability, absence of toilet roof, initiation of toilet use at later age being
the primary determinants behind the decline. The practice still persists, despite 90%
of the households were exposed to government-initiated sensitization programs like
advertisements, wall painting, posters, and regular sanitation meetings.
4 Efforts Made by Other Countries in Arresting
the Situation
It could be inferred that getting rid of human waste is necessary to ensure sustainable use of toilets. There is not only low awareness and priority in robust responses
dealing with safe disposal of excreta but in practice, it is unwittingly deemed as a
prerogative of urban region (National Policy on Fecal Sludge and Septage Management 2017). Although there is much conceptualizing on solid waste management as
well as non-sewered options for fecal disposal in rural areas right from last decade,
yet there is hardly any exclusive initiative being taken up at a larger scale for meting
out exclusive addressal of the same. There has been no mention of solid and liquid
waste management in policy discourse till 2005 (Alok 2010), thereby not realizing
that other aspects of the sanitation life cycle may require concurrent policy responses
alongside building of toilets. Cairncross (2003), argues that communities fare far better in lowering the incidences of diarrhea and trachoma with better prospects of living
which have sound fecal sludge management policies as opposed to those which do
not. It has been reported that every one in five Indian, lack adequate means for excreta
disposal.
Insights could be drawn from neighboring countries which have already received
open defecation free status and have begun working along the further rungs of sanitation value chain. There have been serious efforts made in arresting the situation in
other countries. For instance, in Rwanda, political leadership, and commitment called
for strong water and sanitation policy in line with poverty reduction and economic
development. Secondly, in Indonesia the slippage rate is 14.5% and the government
has a holistic approach—legislation, financing, human resource capacity, and supply
chains in guaranteeing enabling factors for sustainable sanitation services. In recently
conducted studies in Indonesia, sustainability of services is mapped by measuring
direct indicators like path to the toilet, visible anal cleaning material, detection of
feces, wet slabs, etc., as well as self-reported observations (Ekane et al. 2014; Odagiri
et al. 2017).
Balasubramanya et al. (2016, 2017) contend use and reuse are inextricably linked
to emptying of pits of the region which has single pit toilets. Bangladesh has achieved