Innovative Solutions for Open Defecation

Below are some of the policy, awareness and process solutions you had given in regards to Open Defecation in India. Given below is a practical example. Kindly share any other community, or innovation based solutions in that you believe can play a role in addressing the same.

We look forward to your inputs!
Swachh Bharat Mission

Practical example:

A village in Sehore, MP, took up the campaign seriously and called garm sabhas during evenings so that all family members could gather and participate. A clear message to achieve ODF turned into a mass campaign and all 215 families constructed toilets through joint efforts for which labour and material was made provided at wholesale price. There were some hiccups during initial days as some people opposed the campaign and three families refused to support. They were later convinced by a crowd of 500 schoolchildren, villagers and block level officers to construct the toilets within a week. To ensure compliance, Ever since, the core team keeps a watch on every family from 4am to 7pm and impose fine of Rs 100 if anybody is found violating the rule. Villagers are encouraged to secretly inform the gram sabha against those defecating in open.

Addressing Open Defecation - Solutions

1. Panchayats have sufficient land. It may be used for building common toilets and Panchayats should be made responsible for successful build out and maintenance
2. Effective mechanism to disburse funds to citizens for toilet buildout, sustainment and ongoing monitoring mechanism to ensure running is critical to address open defecation
3. Water tanks or hand pumps should be installed within the toilet premises
4. Health and Sanitary Inspectors as well as volunteers from local community should be appointed to visit such toilet areas and certify that the maintenance is in good condition
5. Each DM needs to be given a target, covering villages under his jurisdiction
6. No residential dwellings should be allowed to construct without toilets
7. Enable Public-Private Partnerships in not only building toilets but in maintaining it
8. Corporates could adopt villages and build toilets under their CSR initiative
9. More NGO’s like Sulabh should be roped in to build and maintain public toilets
10. A program that brings together Central Government (funding/overall program management), Local Civic Agency (executing), NGOs (executing) and Citizen Community (monitoring and raisingred flags) needs to be put together for community toilet building and sustainment
11. The public toilet cleaning needs to be outsourced to specialised cleaning companies where practical
12. On construction sites, it should be made mandatory for contractors to provide temporary toilets
13. There could be a designated place with mobile toilets and cleaning agency being the solution till permanent toilets are built
14. Waterless community toilets must be installed in areas where water is a constraint
15. NGOs should take up the task of teaching the people of villages about using toilets
16. People in villages/urban slums should also be taught hygiene practices so that they keep the toilet clean
17. Social campaigns/rural advertising through mass media should be done telling people not to defecate in open along with health hazards of open defecation
18. A financial penalty could be imposed on the person caught defecating in open despite having toilets in the area
19. The public should be empowered to inform authorities of such activities via mobile phones
20. Bio toilets should also be evaluated as an option and implemented where practical
21. All commercial establishments like petrol pumps, movie theaters, hospitals, etc should be required to have a common toilet which public can also use
22. Civic agencies/Highway Authorities should put up boards on roads displaying within how many feet one can access a toilet. more