Reforms under Rural Sanitation in India
Since 2014, India has been witnessing a major reform in Governance and administration of rural sanitation compounded with an urgency to deliver. No doubt the urgency in mobilization of resources, deployment of so many professionals and millions of grassroot workers have elevated this program in the similar stature of our past revolutions with water, agriculture and polio eradication. SBM Gramin proved with political will and administrative accountability reaching to scale is possible. For many professionals, last 4 years have been a mixed experiences when we start arguing this against quality and sustainability. However,undoubtedly the professionals working in this sector over past few decades never felt such push for sanitation. 'Swachh' and Spects of Father of Nation has become most commonly used words and logo in our day to day life including our newly printed currency notes and coins. We have seen flourish of new professionals joining in the sanitation sector. It has also become one of the taught subject in Universities, Colleges and Technical institutions outside Civil and Environment Engineering and Science course. In one word, PMO and Ministry could able to turn Sanitation an accepted word in Indian Society. Though, the grassroot workers, often termed as Kachrawala and Scavengers may need to wait for more years to get their much deserved respect.
Now, with nearly 80 per cent of rural families accessing individual toilets, there has been an increasing concern and doubt on the quality of end product and its usage. One section of practitioners belive that when community is triggered, demand is generated, supply will follow automatically and social norms against open defecation will be in place. On the other side, there has been questions around quality of supply, rent seeking, cutting the corners and variable capacities of local Government in terms of understanding their roles and responsibilities and deliver it appropriately albeit of community demand. At the same time, Scientist and Academicians are now worried on the possible ground water contamination and public health hazard in the absence of service level benchmarking on constructed toilets, service providers for Operation and Maintenance and access to appropriate technology.
There is no doubt experience of SBM Gramin is much promising than sector reform in late 90s where major thrust was given to water. However, second generation of SBM Gramin need to think beyond campaign mode and focus more on challenge and competitive mode where sanctions and incentivisation should operate simultaneously with a system of graduating to different levels or milestones. Sustainability should not compromise suitability and sustainability should not also become enemy of innovations. Time has come to open up SBM Gramin to the private sector with a platform of technology transfer, professionalization of service providers, elevating the ladder in terms of toilet technology, treatment, sanitation bond, sanitation linked health insurance and removing the individual subsidy. One of the success behind drinking water supply project over sanitation is on allocation of grant which is targeted more to develop community assets than individual assets. No doubt water supply schemes have its own challenges but those are largely on the execution and scheme transfer part. But still per family investment in water is much less compared to sanitation.
Hence,second generation regform of SBM Gramin apart from addressing sustainability and suitability should broaden the scope of sanitation and bring the essence of environment sanitation and ecosystem integrating with larger gram swaraj program.
Now the big question whether we are ready to take the difficult path of non individual
incentive based, challenge mode rural sanitation program which may not run in urgency like present campaign but focus more on consolidating the gaps, learning from mistakes and not always compare physical achievement and financial investment at family level. Second generation of SBM Gramin should know how to use the platform created in last 4 years and doing the same thing differently rather than doing new things always. Second generation of SBM Gramin requires similar political will like present program but lesser political patronage.
Now, with nearly 80 per cent of rural families accessing individual toilets, there has been an increasing concern and doubt on the quality of end product and its usage. One section of practitioners belive that when community is triggered, demand is generated, supply will follow automatically and social norms against open defecation will be in place. On the other side, there has been questions around quality of supply, rent seeking, cutting the corners and variable capacities of local Government in terms of understanding their roles and responsibilities and deliver it appropriately albeit of community demand. At the same time, Scientist and Academicians are now worried on the possible ground water contamination and public health hazard in the absence of service level benchmarking on constructed toilets, service providers for Operation and Maintenance and access to appropriate technology.
There is no doubt experience of SBM Gramin is much promising than sector reform in late 90s where major thrust was given to water. However, second generation of SBM Gramin need to think beyond campaign mode and focus more on challenge and competitive mode where sanctions and incentivisation should operate simultaneously with a system of graduating to different levels or milestones. Sustainability should not compromise suitability and sustainability should not also become enemy of innovations. Time has come to open up SBM Gramin to the private sector with a platform of technology transfer, professionalization of service providers, elevating the ladder in terms of toilet technology, treatment, sanitation bond, sanitation linked health insurance and removing the individual subsidy. One of the success behind drinking water supply project over sanitation is on allocation of grant which is targeted more to develop community assets than individual assets. No doubt water supply schemes have its own challenges but those are largely on the execution and scheme transfer part. But still per family investment in water is much less compared to sanitation.
Hence,second generation regform of SBM Gramin apart from addressing sustainability and suitability should broaden the scope of sanitation and bring the essence of environment sanitation and ecosystem integrating with larger gram swaraj program.
Now the big question whether we are ready to take the difficult path of non individual
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