By Bhabani Prasad Mahapatra* in Bhubaneswar, May 15, 2016 : On October 2, 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a very ambitious target to construct 11.11 crore individual household latrines (IHHL) to make India Open Defecation Free (ODF). To achieve the target, sanitation programme has been revamped under one umbrella programme Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)- under which National Rural Drinking Water Programme(NRDWP) and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) are run.

Besides, the government has also set a target of providing toilets to every school through Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya programme. Along with access to toilet to every individual, the mission emphasises on solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness and provision of adequate drinking water.

In line with the national goal, Odisha government has also taken initiatives and strives to make Odisha Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2019 by ensuring construction and use of Individual Household Latrine (IHL) along with environmental cleanliness. The state government sets a target to construct 7659858 Individual household toilets (IHHL) and 2490 community sanitary complex (CSC) by 2019.

Even, the Odisha government has transferred the responsibility of the toilet construction in schools and anganwadi toilets to the department of school and mass education [S&ME] and women and child development [W&CD] respectively and giving the Rural Development department a major responsibility to construct IHHL and CSC. But the physical progress of the toilet construction is far from satisfactory. Against 7 lakh targeted IHHL and 181 CSC for the year 2014-15, the achievement up to March 20105 has been only 1,30,934 IHHL and 13 CSC (Annual Plan 2015-16). If the current pace of progress is any indication, then the ODF status in Odisha by 2019 will be a day dream. It is in this context certain issues are highlighted and solutions are suggested.

Lack of safe
water, adequate sanitation and good hygiene practices is directly linked to fatal diseases and conditions such as cholera and diarrhoea. Over 1.4 lakh under-five children die every year from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation in India. Recent research (Source: Population Reference Bureau) shows a link between high rate of child malnutrition in India and country’s poor sanitation. India has dubious distinction of having 6.2 crore people across all income groups stunted – a form of malnutrition in which children are shorter than normal for their age.

In India, malnutrition is not due to lack of food. Instead, it is due to lack of toilets for its population. Almost half of India’s population, at least 62 crore people defecates outside. Similarly, 7.6 crore people in India don’t have access to safe water and 77.4 crore people don’t have access to adequate sanitation in India.

In Odisha the scenario is no better. When the share of stunted child under-6 years is 32 percent (Rapid Survey of Children 2013-14), still 88 percent households have no toilet facilities in the state. Similarly, toilet is not only required for the safe health but also the dignity especially of women in India. Therefore toilet needs the priority of the policy makers.

Investment in sanitation will be beneficial for the economy. For example, a world Health Organisation(WHO) study in 2004 showed that a dollar invested in sanitation would provide an economic return between 3 USD and 34 USD, depending upon the intervention and region. In India, public investment in SBM is allocated on two aspects-toilet construction and Information Education and Communication (IEC).The unit cost of toilet is Rs 12000 under SBM.

However, A research by SQUAT survey in villages of central and north India indicates that the cost of the functioning toilet will be Rs.21,000. This indicates that budget for toilet construction should increase. Similarly, government’s focus on IEC is not reflected in the budget. For example, research by Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) shows that union budget allocation to the IEC component of SBM has been reduced from 15 percent in 2014-15 to 8 percent in 2015-16 union budget.

In Odisha, it was expected that the state government to invest more on sanitation especially after the 14th finance commission recommendation for increase in the devolution from 32 percent to 42 percent from 2015 to 2020. But the state budget 2016-17 indicates that allocation for SBM is proposed at Rs.740.43 crore which is reduced by 224.32 crore than previous year (OBAC,2016).

However, after the 14th finance commission, approximately 80 lakhs to Rs.1 crore untied fund will flow to each Gram Panchayat during 2015-20. But due to lack of planning and lack of capacity of the panchayat functionaries to plan, funds may not be utilized properly. To achieve the target of ODF by 2019, it is essential that each gram panchayat should have a sanitation plan. Besides, resources from corporate houses through CSR can also be tapped to improve the sanitation scenario in the state.

In Asian region, different types of steps have been taken by different countries to reduce open defecation. For example, Countries like Bangladesh (this country targeted the slum area) and Nepal, have done well to reduce the open defecation by constructing toilets. The People’s Republic of China and Vietnam have got success in improving sanitation and cleaning rivers and cities by building large wastewater treatment plants. Therefore, India/Odisha can also adopt the innovative models practiced in developing countries.(source: http://www.dw.com)

Last but not the least, to make the country/state ODF, the community needs to participate and monitor the SBM programme. This will be possible only when sanitation issue-linking it with health and dignity of the people especially women- is discussed at popular public forums on a regular basis.

• Bhabani Prasad Mahapatra is working in a Bhubaneswar based Development Sector Organisation. His interest areas are human development, food and nutritional security.