Sanitation Challenges in Rural India

Sanitation Challenges in Rural India

GS-II: Government policies & Intervention, Health

(UPSC/ State PSCs)

Important for Prelims

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Central Rural Sanitation Program (CRSP), Total Sanitation Campaign, National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey, Sustainable Development Goals, National Sample Survey (NSSO), Open Defecation Free (ODF).

Important for Mains

Sanitation related public policies and schemes of Government of India, Sanitation data in India, Sanitation challenges, Way forward, Conclusion.

Feb. 08, 2024

Context:

In the last decade, the Government of India's sanitation public policies and schemes have done wonders in improving sanitation coverage.

The issue of access to water and sanitation is Goal 6 among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals envisaged by the United Nations. However, despite various measures, some concerns related to cleanliness are increasing.

Sanitation data in India:

  • According to government data, about 85% of villages in India have become ODF Plus.
  • National Sample Survey - (NSSO) 2012, while 59% of rural households did not have access to a toilet, 4% of individuals who had toilet facilities reported not using the facility. The primary reasons for not using it were: no superstructure (21%); facility malfunction (22%); Facility being unhygienic/unhygienic (20%), and individual reasons (23%).
  • The more comprehensive National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS)-Round-3 (2019-20) conducted by the ministry showed that 95% of the rural population in India had access to toilets.
  • Access to owned, shared and public toilets was available to 79%, 14% and 1% of households respectively.
  • It was also reported that 96% of the toilets were functional and almost all had water facilities. However, the same report shows that only 85% of the rural population uses safe, functional and hygienic toilets.
  • Considering the percentage of households that have access to toilets, the gap between access to toilets and their use increases to 10%.

Sanitation Challenges:

House size, social norms

  • Our econometric models show that toilet use depends on household size along with economic status and education. The larger the size of the household, the greater the probability of not using a toilet.
  • Overcrowding and social norms prevent all members of a household from using the same toilet. Our 2020 survey shows that only 3%-4% of households have more than one toilet. Additionally, the likelihood of using a toilet is reduced if access to water is difficult.
  • Toilet use is much more common in remote and backward villages if households have access to water.
  • If there is a separate bathroom in a house, the possibility of using the toilet also reduces.
  • There is no criterion mandating multiple toilets for households larger than a certain size in the second phase of the programme. Nor is there any provision for making an attached bathroom.
  • Hygiene behavior also varies across socio-economic classes. NARSS-3 shows that access to toilets was highest for upper castes (97%) and lowest for Scheduled Castes (95%). Our multi-state study shows that the percentage of non-users is higher in upper castes than in backward castes.
  • Furthermore, campaign design should consider variation in networks between villages because behavioral change among households may occur independently in some villages and collectively in others.

Lack of Harmony:

  • Around 10 crore toilets were constructed between 2014 and 2019 during the initial phase of SBM-G. The increase in coverage has also increased awareness about safe hygiene practices.
  • However, collective behavior change is yet to occur in the nation. Our study shows that behavioral change in hygiene cannot occur independently.
  • It is dependent on social networks and overall improvement in living standards, including access to better housing and basic services.
  • There are separate programs for each of these basic needs, but they are not well coordinated.
  • Due to lack of overall planning in India, there is lack of coordination among programs despite high level of expenditure in meeting basic needs. Disorganized efforts will lead to inefficient use of precious public finances.

Ineffectiveness of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):

  • Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) program was launched to provide tap water to every household by 2024, but the mission did not see positive results.

About Swachh Bharat Abhiyan:

  • This campaign was launched in the year 2014 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to accelerate efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and focus on sanitation.
  • Objective: To eliminate open defecation in rural areas.
  • Public sanitation programs in the country began with the launch of the Central Rural Sanitation Program (CRSP) in 1986.
  • In this sequence, Total Sanitation Campaign was started in the year 1999.

Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) First Phase:

  • In India, at the time of launch of Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) on October 2, 2014, rural sanitation coverage was recorded at 38.7 percent.
  • Under this mission, more than 10 crore individual toilets were constructed, as a result of which rural areas of all the states declared themselves ODF on October 2, 2019.

Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) Second Phase:

  • It emphasizes on sustainability of the achievements made under Phase I and providing adequate facilities for solid/liquid and plastic waste management (SLWM) in rural India.
  • Implementation: Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Phase II will be implemented as a mission with a total outlay of Rs 1,40,881 crore for the period 2020-21 to 2024-25.
  • The top five performing states are Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh with maximum number of villages declared as ODF Plus.

About ‘Open Defecation Free (ODF)’ Status:

  • ODF: An area can be notified or declared as ODF if at any time of the day, not a single person defecates in the open.
  • ODF+: A city can be declared ODF+ if no person is found defecating and/or urinating in the open on any day and all community and public toilets are functional and well maintained.
  • ODF++: A city can be declared ODF++ if it is already in ODF+ status and there is safe management and treatment of faecal sludge/septage and no pollution. Untreated sludge/septage and drains do not discharge into water bodies or drains in open areas.

Way forward:

  • Collective Behavior Change: There is a need for collective behavior change in the nation. As studies show, behavioral change in hygiene cannot occur independently. It is dependent on social networks and overall improvement in living standards, including access to better housing and basic services.
  • Covering left out families: The number of left out families is considerable and needs to be covered in SBM Phase II. The government should recognize the shortcomings of the previous phase and address the shortcomings in the current phase.
  • Civil society participation: Sanitation policies and programs should facilitate the participation of civil society, including women, in the design, implementation and monitoring of local priorities in rural and urban areas.
  • Effective monitoring: There is a need to strengthen institutions for efficient monitoring and evaluation for better accountability and implementation.
  • Analyze and evaluate: An analysis is needed to examine policies, governance structures and funding. Evaluation is necessary to have updated data on coverage of schemes and compliance in health facilities. This will form the basis for prioritizing policies and mobilizing resources.

Conclusion:

The implementation of sanitation programs in India has led to significant improvements in public life and health, but universal access to safely managed sanitation services remains a challenge. Therefore, the government needs to significantly transform India from open defecation free to open defecation free plus status by 2024-25.

Source: The Hindu

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Mains Question:

Despite significant progress and improvement in sanitation coverage in the country, many challenges remain. Mention the way forward to resolve these social, economic and political challenges.