As we hurtle towards the year 2030, a crucial milestone set by the United Nations in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one goal looms large on the horizon: SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation. At the heart of SDG 6 lies a fundamental human right – access to safe toilets and clean water.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 1.7 billion people still lack access to basic sanitation services, such as toilets or latrines. The lack of access to clean toilets is not only an inconvenience but also a major health risk. The World Health Organization estimates that 432,000 people die each year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor sanitation, with children under the age of five being the most vulnerable. According to the World Bank, poor sanitation costs the global economy $260 billion per year in lost productivity, costs that are disproportionately borne by poorer communities, which is where sanitation systems tend to be inadequate and prone to failure.
Fortunately, India has made remarkable strides in this arena.
Marching India Towards a Swachh Bharat
The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), launched in 2014, is one of the largest and most ambitious sanitation campaigns in history, worldwide. Under the Phase 1 of Swachh Bharat Mission, all Villages, States and Union Territories in India declared themselves “open-defecation free” (ODF) by 2nd October 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. This involves significant investment and effort: construction over 10 crore toilets in rural India at a projected cost of over Rs 1.3 lakh crore.
The benefits have been immense. The World Health Organization (WHO) has in its report stated that at least 180,000 diarrhoeal deaths were averted in rural India since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Additionally, in rural India, families saved over Rs 50,000 per household in rural India per year in medical costs, thanks to the improvements in sanitation the Swachh Bharat mission Movement brought. The mission has mobilized millions of people, from government officials to celebrities to ordinary citizens, to construct toilets, promote hygiene practices and change social norms.
Achieving an ODF India in record time also meant that India attained Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.2–Sanitation for all a whopping eleven years before the UN’s SDG target of 31st December 2030.
However, despite these impressive achievements, there are still significant regional disparities and challenges that need to be addressed. According to the National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey 2018-19, 96.5% of rural households use their toilets regularly, which means we still have a gap between toilet construction and toilet usage. There are also issues related to the quality, sustainability and inclusiveness of the toilets built under SBM, as well as the availability and affordability of water for sanitation purposes.
Challenges Faced in India
India still faces several challenges in scaling up its sanitation and hygiene initiatives, and to bring about the behavioural change needed.
Adequate finance: Built infrastructure needs to be maintained, and newly formed toilet habits must be reinforced. This involves significant funding, and must come from various sources such as public funds, private sector, development partners, and communities themselves. Transparent allocation and careful monitoring of outcomes will also go a long way in ensuring we don’t roll back on the gains we have earned this far.
Impact of climate change on water sources: Climate change poses a serious threat to India’s water security and sanitation situation. According to a NITI Aayog report titled “Composite Water Management Index”, India is undergoing the worst water crisis in its history and nearly 600 million people are facing high to extreme water stress. The report also ranks India at 120th amongst 122 countries in the water quality index, with nearly 70% of water being contaminated. Climate change is likely to exacerbate this crisis by causing more frequent and intense droughts, floods, cyclones and heat waves that can affect the availability and quality of water sources. This can have adverse impacts on sanitation services such as toilet flushing, sewerage systems and wastewater treatment plants. The answer lies in climate-resilient infrastructure, in addition to funding new research into sanitation models and products for the future.
Cultural and behavioural barriers: For Indians who have never used a toilet, it can feel daunting. Moreover, there are often cultural and social norms that work against change, and can create unforeseen barriers against adoption. The societal taboo also prevents open conversation about toilet habits, and poor toilet habits can lurk unseen even after communication and training. People are loath to ask questions, particularly when amongst their peers.
Creating a Culture of Positive Change
While the GoI is doing a commendable job in addressing these challenges, they are not alone in this mission. Harpic, India’s leading brand in the lavatory care segment, has vocally championed the cause of toilet hygiene for decades now, 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 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.
Through Harpic World Toilet Colleges, Harpic is also changing the way sanitation work is viewed, uplifting the entire profession, and creating dignity and safety for sanitation workers. These empowered sanitation workers make exceptional ambassadors of change in their own communities, and in the communities they serve; often helping users who may be too embarrassed to ask questions elsewhere.
Moreover, through Mission Swachhta aur Paani, Harpic is creating a platform for the right stakeholders to come together to ideate and explore creative solutions to our problems today. It is going to take many conversations like these, and the actions that follow to usher India to a brighter, safer, and healthier future.
Join your voice to ours here, and help us march towards a more Swasth and Swachh Bharat.
