Outlook English - Print Subscribers Copy Outlook English, 26 March 2018 | Page 15

Dr. Singh’s foresight
transformed the mission
from a construction driven
programme to a potent
agent of social behavior
change in Assam.
into a partnership with both Gauhati University and Dibrugarh
University, reaching more than 400 colleges affiliated with these
universities, and bringing thousands of students studying in
these institutions into the fold of sanitation movement through
formation of health and sanitation clubs and harnessing NSS
wings active there. Hundreds of villages were adopted and
students assumed leadership role in sensitizing the community.
Dibrugarh University has even started courses in solid waste
management and sanitation.
Similarly various programmes and competitions were taken
up in schools to internalise sanitation and cleanliness as a way of
life in the young minds, the most notable being the ‘Green Police’
initiative. A group of motivated students devote sometime after
school to stopping people from littering roads, markets, public
places, etc. A lot of awareness has been generated by this.
Women Masons
Recognizing the pivotal role played by women in the
household, the Mission team has trained women as
masons and they are constructing toilets in several
areas. The initiative started in Barpeta district has put
women in forefront of the decision making process,
and has transformed them into powerful advocates
for the cause of sanitation and cleanliness.
Movie on Sanitation
A full length movie on the theme of sanitation has been made, titled
‘Ajanite Mone Mone’, wherein instead of preaching, entertainment
has been used for spreading the message of sanitation in an
engrossing manner. This is the first regional movie on the theme.
Daan Toilet
To make the mission people’s movement in the real sense, the
concept of ‘Daan Toilet’ has been started in the district of Jorhat,
where people are exhorted to donate toilets in the memory of or
dedicated to their loved ones, to the families not having them.
This fairly simple and emotional appeal has caught up in a big
way and several donors have come forward to contribute to the
cause. The concept is now being extended to the entire state. The
state has also set up a Swachh Assam Kosh to tap Corporate Social
Responsibility funds and other voluntary contributions.
The Result
Due to the concerted efforts, astute leadership and perseverance,
the sanitation picture of the state has completely changed in
less than two years. The percentage of households with access
to safe sanitation by way of IHHL has gone up from 52% to 82%
by February, 2018. As compared to an approximate amount of 6
lakh toilets provided in 2014-16, a total of nearly 17 lakh toilets
have been provided to the public between May, 2016 to February,
2018. The real success however lies in the high percentage usage
of these latrines. As per independent surveys conducted by the
Government of India, the usage is more than 95%.
While only 172 villages were rid from the bane of open
defecation till mid 2016, presently 8200 villages are Open
Defecation Free (ODF). Five districts have become completely
ODF and Assam appears to be marching on the path of becoming
ODF by mid 2018, much earlier than the targeted date of 2nd
October 2019.
The Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Assam has come a long
way from being a government cleanliness mission to being an
agent of social change. The Mission has seen the involvement of all
section of the society starting from women Self Help Groups, tea
garden workers, school children, to industries, religious leaders,
NGOs etc. It has given shape to the aspiration of the people to
live in a clean and sanitized environment irrespective of social
and economic standings. Most importantly, the involvement of
women at various stages of the mission is inspirational. Women
have challenged the gender stereotypes. This ‘Jan Andalon’ has
brought about a real social change in Assam and the mission aims
to take forward the learning in Assam across the country.