Toilets built by govt, people not using, mindset is not changing

Shillong

With over 1.3 crore toilets constructed by the government remaining non-functional the Centre is emphasising partnerships on changing the people’s mindset to make the country open defecation-free by 2019, Union Minister of Rural Development Chaudhary Birendra Singh today said.

“A survey has indicated that 1.30 crore toilets out of the total six crore constructed are non-functional and have become defunct,” Singh told media persons at the sidelines of a national consultation on ‘Sanitation Partnership’ here.

“To make these toilets functional, change in the mindsets is important as we want this to be a continuous process. We will come out with a declaration for people to know new ways to overcome this,” he said.

“We have also decided to have a conclave of corporate people to be partners in the efforts of the government to construct these toilets,” he said.

Stating that his ministry had uploaded in its site over five dozen new technologies for solid and liquid waste management, the Union minister said “We have left it to the states to decide which technologies are good and applicable in their areas.”

The Centre, he said, “is providing projects ranging from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 20 lakh depending on the size of a village for installing solid-liquid waste management plants.”

Swachh Bharat Mission aims to make the country free from open defecation by October 2019 over 80 lakh sanitary toilets have been constructed during the current year, he said.

Singh sounded optimistic on the situation in the north eastern region. “We will be able to achieve the target in all the north east states in the next two years,” he said.

The Centre is now giving Rs 9000 for construction of toilets in plain areas, while it was Rs 10,800 in the north east region, he said.

Addressing the inaugural function, Singh said “Partnerships are the hallmark of this government. My ministry is committed to forge partnerships and nurture them so that together we can make our nation free from the embarrassing practice of open defecation.”

(REOPENS CAL5) The Union Rural Development minister said the central responsibility of sanitation promotion, upgradation and management has been devolved to gram panchayats.

“We have created scope for civil society organizations to support panchayats in undertaking awareness creation and behaviour change activities,” he said.

The Rural Development ministry has also encouraged small entrepreneurs to collaborate and support gram panchayats in strengthening the supply chain adding it has also successfully involved para government functionaries, school teachers, anganwadi workers, ASHAs to promote sustainable sanitation in rural areas.

“The Prime Minister desires to make sanitation a people?s movement. We are committed to partner with institutions that are closer to people and can trigger change in their behaviour,” Singh said.

He called upon all the actors of partners in programme implementation, developing policy and strategy for achieving the Swachh Bharat goals, knowledge sharing, capacity building and financing of sanitation interventions.

The national consultation will provide useful insights and practical framework to promote partnership for making the country free from open defecation, he added.

PTI