India has made significant strides in sanitation access in recent years, with the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) promoting toilet construction across the country. However, constructing toilets is just one piece of the puzzle. The true challenge lies in ensuring their long-term usability and cleanliness – a challenge that hinges on a crucial aspect – behavioural change.
Understanding the Reasons Behind Unclean Toilets
There are many reasons why we face the problem of unclean toilets in India. First amongst them is a lack of awareness and toilet education. For many communities in rural India, the toilets built by the Swachh Bharat Mission were the first toilets the community came across. They simply may not know how to use and maintain toilets.
In other communities, the responsibility of toilet maintenance falls on women and girls, as does most of the household labour. The trouble is that sanitation education isn’t intuitive. No one has taught them how to clean the toilet, what products to use, how to protect themselves while cleaning, and so on. Moreover, this unequal distribution of labour can lead to a sense of disownership and a lack of collective responsibility for cleanliness.
In some cases, it could just be a badly designed toilet. If the toilet is dark, dinghy and has no ventilation, no one wants to use it, or clean it. Those who must use it, will do so in a way that minimises the time spent in the toilet, which increases the odds that they will leave it dirty. Moreover, if the toilet is placed in an area that isn’t safe and doesn’t have proper lighting, it can also lead to disuse altogether.
The Psychological Impact of Unclean Toilets
Beyond physical discomfort, unclean toilets have a significant psychological impact on individuals and communities. The inability to maintain basic hygiene due to inadequate toilet facilities can lead to feelings of shame and embarrassment, which keeps people from social interaction. It can also negatively affect their self-esteem, and keep them from going after educational and employment opportunities.
Not having access to a clean toilet also takes the form of a background hum of low-level stress and anxiety. There’s a constant worry about finding a clean toilet, of waking up at a certain time so you can use the toilet before everyone else, or of measuring your water and food intake, so that you don’t have to go at a time when you know the toilet will be dirty.
Of course, these issues are compounded for girls when they begin menstruation. Concerns about menstrual hygiene and a lack of privacy can lead to absenteeism and negatively impact their academic performance. In fact, it has been seen that girl children, when they begin menstruating, tend to drop out of school if they don’t have access to a clean toilet.
Promoting Positive Behavioral Change: A Multi-Pronged Approach
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, millions of toilets were constructed all over India, ensuring that no Indian is left behind. However, access is just half the solution. As the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan found, we also need to bring about behavioural change when it comes to using toilets, and maintaining them. The Sub-Group of Chief Ministers recognised that they were succeeding with the youth – not only were young people more receptive to their message, they were also willing ambassadors of change within their families and communities.
This is reflected in the recommendations that the Sub-Group made regarding an education strategy that encompasses several key measures:
- Inculcating sanitation practices in children by including a chapter in the school curriculum from the first standard itself.
- In each school and college, a team of students may be formed which will be called the ‘Swachhata Senani, to spread awareness about sanitation and cleanliness
- Skill Development courses/ Diploma courses may be introduced in State ITIs and polytechnics/ colleges to train personnel in the field of solid and liquid waste management.
- Specialised courses on Environmental Sciences, Public Health Engineering and Municipal Engineering with focus on sanitation and waste management may be introduced at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
- Joint Research Programmes with foreign universities/higher educational institutions would enhance knowledge and capacities to work on waste management technologies.
They also came up with several recommendations on how to create a stronger Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) strategy by involving measures like:
- Involving political and social/thought leaders, celebrities and media houses to spread the message of the importance of cleanliness and sanitation.
- Extensive media campaigns in the form of electronic, web and print to be used for conveying messages and encouraging the people to pay for usage of public toilets for their sustainability.
- Advocacy of the concept of three R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
- Communications to ensure that cleaning occupations must be seen as dignified work and widely respected.
Bridging the Gap
While the recommendations outlined by the Sub-Group of Chief ministers provide a comprehensive framework for fostering behavioural change, successful implementation requires concrete examples. Here’s where initiatives like Mission Swachhta aur Paani play a crucial role.
For decades, Harpic, India’s leading brand in the lavatory care segment, has been a vocal champion for toilet hygiene through thought-provoking campaigns and impactful outreach programs. Three years ago, Harpic partnered with News18 to launch Mission Swachhta aur Paani, a movement dedicated to achieving inclusive sanitation for all.
Mission Swachhta aur Paani goes beyond just building toilets; it advocates for a future where everyone – regardless of gender, ability, caste, or class – has access to clean and hygienic sanitation facilities. The initiative recognizes that clean toilets are a shared responsibility, requiring collaboration across diverse stakeholders. This includes government officials, NGOs, sanitation workers, educators, and the public. By fostering intelligent dialogue between these groups, Mission Swachhta aur Paani leverages the extensive reach of News18 to shine a light on the challenges faced by our sanitation infrastructure and the dedicated individuals who maintain it.
Mission Swachhta aur Paani doesn’t just raise awareness; it empowers you to engage and participate. It invites you to contribute your knowledge and help move the conversation forward. Ultimately, sanitation is a concern for all of us. If fostering open dialogue about toilets can lead to cleaner and greener lives, then why hesitate to talk about it?
Join us here, lend your voice to the growing call to action, and help us create a Swasth and Swachh Bharat for everyone.