There is no doubt about the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The evidence is all around us. There was a time when even city dwellers saw people using the streets as toilets because they had no other option. When traveling away from cities, we rationed food and water to avoid needing to use the toilet en route. The anxiety of finding a toilet was a constant concern whenever we were out of our homes.
In rural India, the situation was much worse. Women avoided going to the toilet all day because they had to use fields, exposing them to unwanted attention and even physical and sexual violence. There was no safe sanitation because there were no toilets. Land and water bodies were polluted with human waste, often leading to outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Vector-borne diseases also thrived in these conditions. Toilets, if constructed, were poorly maintained as they were community toilets, and there is great social stigma associated with cleaning toilets.
The Swachh Bharat Mission, in just 10 years, has ushered in a change most thought impossible to achieve. 11 crore toilets have been constructed, and over 6 lakh villages are now ODF. In an unprecedented move, the Prime Minister himself washed the feet of sanitation workers, showing his respect for their work and setting a strong example for his countrymen to follow. Sanitation awareness and education campaigns are everywhere, and people are learning how to use and maintain toilets safely.
Yet, there are gaps. In a country as large and diverse as India, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and no magical combination of words that can communicate to everyone everywhere the “why” and “how” of sanitation. This is where Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) play a crucial role in bridging the sanitation gap and bringing us closer to the promise of a truly Swachh and Swasth Bharat for all.
How NGOs are bridging the sanitation gap
NGOs focused on sanitation complement the Government of India’s efforts by working at various community levels and trying different approaches. They are often involved in advocating for policy changes and raising awareness about various aspects of sanitation. Several NGOs specialize in collaborations: creating strategic partnerships with other NGOs, government agencies, the private sector, media, and academia to create synergies.
Many NGOs provide technical assistance and financial support for building and maintaining sanitation facilities. They often promote innovative technologies and practices that are affordable, sustainable, and culturally appropriate. They lead community-led total sanitation (CLTS) programs that encourage much-needed behavioral change and local ownership of sanitation solutions. Other NGOs work at grassroots levels, empowering marginalized groups (including women, children, gender-diverse people, and lower castes) to participate in decision-making and access sanitation services that affect them.
Success Stories
Founded in 1970 by Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak, Sulabh International is one of India’s largest NGOs in sanitation. It has built over 1.5 million household toilets and over 10,000 public toilets across the country and runs vocational training centres for sanitation workers to help them find alternative livelihoods. The organisation also works towards providing safe and hygienic human waste disposal systems to millions of Indians. In addition, Sulabh International has been instrumental in liberating over 10,000 manual scavengers and economically empowering them with new livelihood skills and opportunities.
Established in 1986 by the UK-based charity WaterAid International, WaterAid India works to improve access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for the poorest and most marginalised communities. It has reached millions of people with WASH services since its inception. It also advocates for policy changes and conducts research on WASH issues.
Founded in 1987 by Mr. S. Damodaran, Gramalaya focuses on rural sanitation and hygiene promotion. It has implemented several CLTS programs in Tamil Nadu and other states, resulting in over 1,000 villages where no one has to go to the toilet in the open. It also supports women self-help groups in forming microfinance institutions that provide loans for toilet construction. Gramalaya has promoted more than 600,000 individual household toilets in India by closely working with state governments and the Swachh Bharat Mission. By working with the SBM program and CSR initiatives, Gramalaya has declared several villages and urban slums as open defecation-free zones.
Another noteworthy endeavour in India is the Swachh Bharat, Swachh Vidyalaya (SBSV) initiative, launched in 2015. This movement aims to provide universal access to gender-segregated toilets in all 1.2 million government schools across the country. Beyond physical infrastructure, the SBSV initiative seeks to enhance the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) curriculum, revolutionising teaching methods and fostering hygiene practices within schools.
Partnerships as Catalysts for Change
Fortunately, in India, it isn’t just the government and NGOs that are involved in uplifting the cause of sanitation. As India’s leading brand in the lavatory care segment, Harpic has a deep and nuanced understanding of the challenges that sanitation brings. For decades now, Harpic has vocally championed the cause of toilet hygiene through innovative and thought provoking campaigns and outreach programs. Harpic, together with News18, also created the Mission Swachhta aur Paani initiative 3 years ago. It is a movement that upholds the cause of inclusive sanitation where everyone has access to clean toilets. Mission Swachhta aur Paani advocates equality for all genders, abilities, castes and classes and strongly believes that clean toilets are a shared responsibility.
Under the aegis of Mission Swachhta aur Paani, Harpic has also reached out 17.5 million children across the nation via their partnership with Sesame Workshop India to promote positive sanitation, hygiene knowledge and toilet behaviours among children and families through schools and communities. Why children? As the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Swachh Bharat Mission found, children are much more receptive to these messages, and often serve as ambassadors, encouraging their families to construct and use toilets safely and correctly.
It is important to realise that sanitation is a public health concern, and by definition, one that affects all of us, irrespective of our privilege. We may live in high rise apartment complexes, but we breathe the same air, drink water derived from the same water sources, and eat food grown in our fields. It is incumbent on us to do our part, to ensure that the facilities we take for granted, are also available to our larger community. Learn how here, and help us bring about a Swasth and Swachh Bharat.