sanitation-for emailing.cdr - Arghyam

Critical Lessons in SanitationBest Practices and Ways Forward

Natasha Ravindran

Editor: Dr Sangeetha Purushothaman

Neha Mohanty

Mamatha Das

Copy Editors: Nirmala Faleiro

Shradha Naveen

Design and Layout: Sudha Menon

Benita Mathew

Authors: Sudha Menon

Credits

Table of Contents

Chapter 9 – Visualising the State of Sanitation 63

Bibliography 75

Chapter 6 – Toilet Options: Sanitation Solutions for Different Needs 37

Chapter 8 – Beyond Toilets: Solid and Liquid Waste Management 57

Foreword i

Chapter 1 – Introduction 1

Chapter 5 – Financing Options for Improved Access to Sanitation 31

Acknowledgements ii

Chapter 2 Community Mobilisation and Generating Demand for Toilets 5–

Chapter 3 – Partnerships between Government and Civil Society 13

Chapter 4 – Toilet Usage and Maintenance 21

Chapter 7 – Reaching the Last Mile 51

Chapter 10 – Conclusions and Way Forward 69

Glossary 78

Foreword

i

CEO, Arghyam

In every initiative Arghyam has supported and successfully completed, we

recognise that the key to success lies in building a foundation and investing in

partnerships and collaborations. This approach has provided a bridge that

allows the expertise of civil society to shape innovation and influence

government. In this manner, Arghyam has been able to demonstrate to

government at different levels the critical value of engaging with civil society and

local communities.

Having built sufficient traction to fuel work in the field of sanitation, and having

set up systems and processes to streamline programmes, Arghyam now plans to

focus its energies on addressing a critical challenge facing the country - that of

drinking water security. In the meanwhile, we leave behind this rich body of work

which summarises Arghyam's contributions and lessons learnt in the field of

sanitation for others to take forward. This collection of best practices highlights

the support provided by Arghyam to grassroots organisations involved in ground

breaking work in sanitation in Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, Rajasthan and

Karnataka.

Jayamala V Subramaniam

We hope that our legacy and the actions we have set into motion will shape the

efforts and thinking of practitioners in their attempts to ensure good sanitation for

all.

An important facet of Arghyam's work included building the capacities of

communities, NGOs and government, in order to make sanitation more

sustainable and accessible to all. In partnership with credible Civil Society

Organisations (CSOs) like Gandhigram Trust, Gramalaya, Atmashakti and Bhartiya

Jana Utthan Parishad, Arghyam has played a significant role in expanding access

to toilets and putting into place processes that fuel demand and build community

ownership. By using the expertise of CSOs in sanitation, while protecting their

autonomy, Arghyam has set the stage for a new way of partnering. By recognising

the credibility of CSOs and helping build these partnerships, it has set a precedent

for governments to better implement programmes with professional expertise.

Arghyam ventured into hitherto uncharted territory to experiment with solutions

for some critical gaps that existed in sanitation. These innovations addressed a

range of issues including gap financing for the poor, new toilet technologies for

difficult terrains, revival of defunct toilets, bringing about behavioural change, and

systems to manage community and group toilets, all of which pose serious

challenges.

Acknowledgements

ii

Arghyam leads the way in finding locally

relevant and sustainable solutions for water

and sanitation management and practices, by

partnering with various experts, and sharing their

methodologies with vulnerable communities. Best

Practices Foundation was commissioned by Arghyam

to research and develop a compendium of these best

practices. Mixed methodologies informed this study

including primary research with field visits, and

secondary research, through which data of Arghyam-

supported projects involved in promoting sanitation

across themes, was consolidated and analysed. This

collection of best practices seeks to provide an in-

depth understanding of the practices, processes,

models and tools involved as well as their impact and

key lessons for sanitation practitioners and policy

makers.

We would like to express our great appreciation to all

the organisations we interacted with for their

assistance and insights on the innovative practices

they implemented and thank the organisations who

hosted us, for their warmth and hospitality. In Odisha,

Ms Ruchi Kashyap and Mr. Amir Khan, from

Atmashakti, spent quality time with us and gave us

valuable input on the importance of community based

organisations' role in sanitation. Their team

accompanied us into remote areas, and facilitated our

interviews across the different terrains where

Atmashakthi works. In Bihar, Bharat Jan Utthan

Parishad, exposed us to their work where they rebuilt

sanitation infrastructure and revived toilet usage, in

partnership with the local community. Here, we would

like to thank Mr. Abhishek Bharatiya and the project's

programme manager, Mr. Raushan Kumar, who

Last but not the least, we would like to thank all the

communities, especially in Odisha, Bihar, Tamil Nadu,

Karnataka and Rajasthan, who have adopted good

practices in sanitation, making the goal of India being

open defecation free, that much more reachable.

introduced us to the communities and shaped our

thinking.

Executive Director, Best Practices Foundation

Dr Sangeetha Purushothaman

A major endeavor of Arghyam has been to support

pioneering practices and strategies through innovation

and knowledge management with local communities

as well as with government and civil society, to

demonstrate and ensure the effectiveness of

programmes. We are deeply grateful to members of

the Arghyam team, who shared their theory of change

on sanitation, especially Madhavi Purohit, Manohar

Rao, Amrtha Kasturi Rangan and Sukriti Mehta, who

helped it come alive with their perceptions and

analysis. Their constant inputs, guidance and valuable

critiques, were instrumental in improving the quality of

this body of work.

In Tamil Nadu, two outstanding projects in sanitation

are being implemented by Gandhigram Trust and

Gramalaya. Ms Ramuthai and the whole team at

Gandhigram Trust, and Mr. Elangovan and his team at

Gramalaya have our gratitude, for helping us

understand the complexity of sanitation interventions,

particularly with respect to partnering with

government. We are particularly grateful to personnel

from MYRADA, Final Mile, Seva Mandir and SNEHA for

helping us remotely to better understand their work.

Access to sanitation is a basic determinant of quality of life and an

important component of the human development index. The right to

sanitation is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Indian

Constitution. The United Nations recognises access to clean drinking water 1and sanitation facilities as basic human rights . Yet, as per the UN

Sustainable Development Goals, about 2.4 billion people lack access to 2basic sanitation facilities such as toilets .

1. Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), 1999: The

Government of India (GoI) launched TSC in

response to the need for focused attention on

the problem. Its aim was to accelerate

sanitation coverage, especially in rural areas,

and generate demand for facilities by creating

awareness through health education, and 5engaging with schools and . anganwadis

2. Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA), 2012: The

objective of the NBA was to achieve sustainable behaviour change with 6clean villages as the main outcome . This focus was reflected in an

Information, Education and Communication (IEC) component which was

allocated 5% of its budget. Sanitation campaigns have evolved over the

years to improve the public health scenario.

Introduction

India accounted for 90% of the people in South Asia and 59% of the 1.1 3billion people in the world who defecate in the open . According to UNICEF

(2017), about 524 million people – almost half the

population of India – practised open defecation.

Access to sanitation facilities remains inadequate

despite increased emphasis and awareness

around toilet usage. The World Bank (2012)

estimated that poor sanitation costs India over 53 4billion USD — over 6% of its GDP – annually .

73. Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), 2014: Launched by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi, this ambitious national sanitation programme had the

prime goal of making India open defecation free (ODF) by 2019. In the

Programmes on Sanitation in India

– World Health Organization

"Sanitation generally refers to

the provision of facilities and

services for the safe disposal of

human urine and faeces. The

word 'sanitation' also refers to

the maintenance of hygienic

conditions, through services

such as garbage collection and

wastewater disposal."

2 https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/6_Why-it-Matters_Sanitation_2p.pdf

5 http://www.nrega.nic.in/netnrega/forum/8-TSC.pdf 6 https://mdws.gov.in/sites/default/files/swajal_nirmal_bharat_enewsletter_0_0.pdf

4 https://www.wsp.org/sites/wsp.org/files/publications/wsp-esi-india.pdf

7 http://swachhbharatmission.gov.in/sbmcms/index.htm

1 www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/human_right_to_water.shtml

3 http://unicef.in/Whatwedo/11/Eliminate-Open-Defecation

1

Critical Lessons in Sanitation I Best Practices and Ways Forward

Chapter 1

Chapter 1Introduction

The incentive for constructing individual household

latrines (IHHLs) is INR 12,000 per family. Incentives for

public sanitary complexes vary according to the size

and location of the facility, and the technology

employed in their construction. About four crore toilets

have been built since the programme's inception, with

government figures indicating that rural sanitation

coverage has increased from 42% to 65% since

October 2014. The number of rural Indians defecating

in the open fell from 550 million to 330 million people

rural context, the SBM(G) programme aims to

launch solid and liquid waste management

activities to make villages ODF. The focus of the

SBM(U) programme is to provide complete

sanitation solutions, thereby eliminating manual

scavenging and open defecation, and improving

toilet infrastructure. SBM provides financial

incentives for toilet construction, supplemented by

IEC funds to build awareness about toilet use and

sustainability.

8as of June 2017 . On 2 October 2019, India was

declared an ODF nation. Nonetheless, enabling access

to sanitation for the entire population remains a

challenge.

Arghyam, set up in 2001, is a public charitable

foundation that focuses on safe, sustainable water

and sanitation for all. It supports initiatives in the

areas of drinking water security, water quality,

groundwater management and sustainable sanitation

practices. It works with diverse partners, ranging from

civil society organisations and research institutions to

government agencies, prioritising people's

participation, capacity building and creating

awareness.

Arghyam's Theory of Change rests on increasing toilet

use and access (Figure 1) through innovative solutions

and processes and the efficient use of public

resources.

Arghyam's Work in Sanitation

2

8 https://www.unicef.org/publications/index_96611.html

Figure 1: Theory of Change

Ÿ Mobilise communities into sanitation committees or other groups to access SBM entitlements

Ÿ Build capacities of community-based organisations to:

- Work on sanitation

Ÿ Increase awareness and generate demand for better sanitation through IEC and BCC

Strategies with Local Communities

- Negotiate with local government

- Monitor SBM implementation

Ÿ Demystify SBM procedures

- Understand toilet technology and maintenance

- Access government resources

Ÿ Policy advocacy to:

Policy Level Strategies

- Strengthen the SBM programme

- Analyse, develop and showcase new ways to improve programmes

Ÿ Provide inputs to programmes and policies at state and national levels

Ÿ Build commitment at the outset at state, district, block, and Gram Panchayat levels

Ÿ Offer flexibility to enable CSOs to design solutions to delivery and human resource constraints, streamline processes, and

innovate appropriate, low cost technologies

Ÿ Disseminate information through publications on sanitation

Innovation and Knowledge Management

Ÿ Identify SBM programme gaps and pilot new approaches to finance, toilet technologies, behaviour change, SBM data and programme demystification

Ÿ Improve the deployment of government funds and human resources

Ÿ Create accountability mechanisms by coordinating monitoring from NGO to community level

Ÿ Build capacities of government by demonstrating good WASH practices

Ÿ Foster peer learning and horizontal exchange across CSOs

Strategies with Government and Civil SocietyŸ Demonstrate and showcase successful government and civil society partnerships

- Engage with GoI to access public resources

Ÿ Build capacities of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)

Ÿ Develop multi-stakeholder systems to streamline SBM implementation

- Increase sanitation coverage and use


Community Based Strategies

Arghyam supported Atmashakti and Gandhigram to

build capacities of communities to understand SBM

procedures, increase their voice and construct and

repair toilets. Communities engaged with government

to access sanitation-related entitlements, while CSOs

helped improve delivery mechanisms of government

programmes. The results have been compiled into this

compendium of best practices in sanitation.

In line with its Theory of Change, Arghyam supported

interventions whose prime focus was to increase toilet

access and use among communities, thereby

empowering them to take ownership and responsibility

for improved sanitation practices. This meant

demystifying SBM processes and enabling access.

Increased access to sanitation services improves

community health outcomes and overall well-being,

thereby reducing costs of healthcare and increasing 9workforce participation. Once people make this

connection, it translates into an increased demand for

sanitation services and the uptake of SBM facilities.

Towards this end, capacities of local government,

Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and

communities have been built to trigger behaviour

change and generate demand for toilet construction

and use, by employing the services of professional

communication and research organisations like Centre

of Gravity (CoG) and Final Mile.

Fostering Engagement between Civil

Society and Government

The theme of government engagement cuts across all

interventions and initiatives that Arghyam supported.

The chapter on Government Engagement showcases

successful partnerships between government and

CSOs like Gandhigram, with organisations like

Gramalaya providing technical expertise. The State of

Sanitation chapter illustrates the collaboration

between Arghyam and Gramener to develop tools to

3

simplify, visualise and present disaggregated data on

sanitation coverage across India. The Ministry of

Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) was then

convinced to adopt these tools to effectively visualise

data.

Both the government and CSOs have important

resources at their command, and when they work in

tandem, programme implementation becomes more

effective. The government has adequate funds allotted

for SBM, but lacks reach within the community. CSOs,

on the other hand, have the outreach and ground-level

connections with the local population as well as

technical expertise, but cannot generate the funds

needed to achieve large-scale impact.

Fostering collaboration can combine their respective

strengths to improve the public service delivery

system, thus increasing sanitation coverage and

effecting behaviour change on the ground.

Innovation and Knowledge

Management to Address Gaps

Sanitation programmes designed by the government

have been unable to address barriers to achieving

ODF, which include behaviour change, solid and liquid

waste management, and reaching the last mile.

Arghyam supported new approaches to these

fundamental gaps that could be demonstrated to the

government for future replication. Innovative

behavioural change communication (BCC) strategies

were developed with the professional expertise of CoG

and Final Mile, while Gandhigram collaborated with

government to address the issue of solid waste

management. Support for Network and Extension Help

Agency (SNEHA) was supported to reach the last mile,

where a case-by-case approach was used to help each

household adopt water, sanitation and hygiene

practices. Gandhigram and Gramalaya were supported

to construct community toilets to address the issue of

lack of space that some households faced.

9 http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/2012/globalcosts.pdf



4

In the present context, sanitation programmes are

geared towards constructing toilets. However, a one-

size-fits-all approach does not work given India's

diverse geography, culture and customs. Providing a

range of options helps people partake in designing

toilets tailored to local needs, culture and beliefs, thus

generating a sense of ownership. This positively

impacts toilet construction, usage and maintenance.

Access to SBM funds can only take place people after

provide proof of having constructed a toilet.

Marginalised populations often do not have the money

to build in the first place. Arghyam supported

Gandhigram and Gramalaya with innovative gap-

financing solutions like interest-free revolving funds or

sanitation loans to help increase access.

There is a need for ingenious methods to address

bottlenecks to sanitation coverage in India. Arghyam

has supported several CSOs to take on the challenges

described in this compendium. This support included

innovating financial solutions, providing options in

toilet design, and developing BCC strategies to

promote increased usage. Arghyam has made a

concerted effort to document initiatives it was

supporting, capture lessons learnt and work towards

disseminating the insights gained from these

interventions.

For areas with paucity of water, low water tables and

rocky terrains, SEVA Mandir and Mysore Resettlement

and Development Agency (MYRADA) innovated

Ecological Sanitation (ECOSAN) toilets as an

alternative to conventional sanitation solutions.

Bhartiya Jan Utthan Parishad (BJUP) focused on

repairing defunct toilets as a cost-effective

replacement for building new ones, and demonstrated

a pilot design of shallow water toilets for high water

table areas.

Policy Level Strategies

Advocacy has taken place at different levels to

improve the SBM programme. The government has

invited Arghyam to conferences to provide programme

and policy inputs. Promoting transparency and

accountability and creating access to entitlements are

important components by which trust can be built in

government. Advocacy with the district administration

to better utilize the IEC component helped trigger

behaviour change. Additionally, Arghyam advocated

with MDWS to visualise data on the state of sanitation

throughout India on its official website.

This compendium draws on initiatives which have

seen success and the challenges faced by those

implementing them. It presents exciting new initiatives

that can inform policy makers, CSOs, CBOs and

government functionaries at different levels on

practices that can lead to increased sanitation

coverage in a manner that is comprehensive, relevant

and tailored to the specific needs of communities.



Community Mobilisation and Generating Demand for Toilets

Raising awareness on and easing access to SBM entitlements, generating

demand for toilets, customising designs to the local context, and

understanding cultural practices constitute different elements of a

community-based approach. Towards this end, Arghyam supported two very

different community mobilisation initiatives:

The information, education and communication (IEC) component, a key

feature of SBM, is integral to any community mobilisation campaign. Of the

total programme budget, 8% is allocated to IEC, of which 3% is for a national 11campaign, while the remaining 5% can be used within the state. SBM

guidelines stipulate that these funds must be utilised for IEC, behavioural

change communication (BCC) and interpersonal communication (IPC)

activities to initiate demand, construct toilets and promote their use. 12However, in 2017-18, less than 2% of the central budget was spent on IEC,

indicating that it was not being optimally used.

The Government of India has spent the past few decades engaged in

construction of toilets across the country, using a target-based

approach. While the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) programme

intends to create awareness, motivate communities, instil ownership and

encourage behaviour change, this does not necessarily translate into people 10actually using toilets.

People are often unaware of the detrimental effects that open defecation

has on health and environment and consequently on their economic and

social lives. Only once people are able to establish a logical connection

between toilet usage and their own welfare will they become proactive in

designing, building and using toilets. While some individuals may not want

to use toilets because of lack of water or poor maintenance, cultural

attitudes of communities as a whole also need to change. Furthermore,

many people do not know about SBM and even when aware, find the

application process complex. This procedure needs to be simplified.

Context

l Entitlement Approach: Atmashakti, an organisation based in Odisha,

mobilised the community around water and sanitation (WATSAN)

entitlements and raised the demand to access them from the government

as a unified collective

Chapter 2

12 https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/reduction-in-overall-allocation-for-swachh-bharat-abhiyan-in-budget2018-may-hinder-the- missions-progress-feel-experts-17167/

11 Guidelines for Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), pg. 13, http://swachhbharatmission.gov.in/sbmcms/writereaddata/images/pdf/Guidelines/Complete-set-guidelines.pdf

10 http://swachhbharatmission.gov.in/sbmcms/about-us.htm

5


6

Building community leadership through Jan

Sangathans and Jan Sathis: Atmashakti's

philosophy is based on an Activist Intervention

Strategy where community leaders are selected to

spearhead village development. These grassroots

leaders, known as are knowledgeable Jan Sathis,

on constitutional rights, schemes and

entitlements, as well as processes and procedures

for leveraging them. Prior to becoming , Jan Sathis

these leaders were associated with other

development initiatives and had worked with the

community to resolve problems. do not Jan Sathis

Arghyam's rationale for investing in these two

processes was to get insights for scale up. This

stemmed from the understanding that community

mobilisation could generate demand from below, while

government intervention from above on IEC could

create behavioural change.

Atmashakti addressed the lack of community

awareness on health risks and the inability to

access water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)

entitlements.

Process

As a community-led organisation in Odisha,

Atmashakti is involved in building movements for

people to understand and access their entitlements.

Its objective is to create and strengthen peoples'

collectives, known as which can Jan Sangathans,

directly negotiate with the government for access

to rights and entitlements.

l Research Based Behavioural Change Approach: Centre

of Gravity (CoG), a Bengaluru-based agency that

specialises in communication, used research to

analyse the lack of motivation to build toilets and

design an appropriate campaign to trigger behaviour

change. Arghyam and CoG worked closely with

district government and functionaries from multiple

agencies to implement a BCC campaign that helped

communities access SBM entitlements

Entitlement Approach of Atmashakti

work for an NGO or draw a salary. They belong to the

same village as the facilitators of the Jan Sangathan

and have as keen an interest in learning about and

accessing entitlements. Their intimate knowledge of

the community is instrumental in mobilisation, with

the community easily relating to them.

These activist leaders guide the in Jan Sangathan

identifying problems, preparing resolutions for the

administration, approaching government officials to

demand entitlements and following through until they

receive their dues (Figure 2).

Chapter 2Community Mobilisation and

Generating Demand for Toilets

Jan Sathis

help communities

identify problems on

WATSAN for

programme

planning

Mobilising

through

Sangathans

Mobilise

communities through

Jan Sangathans

to approach

government with

application

Share

information on

schemes &

programmes

Community

lists down

demands based on

priorities &

immediate needs

Builds

pressure on system

(panchayat to state

level) as a collective

to deliver

Figure 2

A Jan Sangathan in Progress


7



This operational structure is built on the foundation of

Creating Awareness: In order to raise community

awareness on water, sanitation and hygiene

entitlements, risks of contaminated water and bad

sanitation practices, Atmashakti fine-tuned messages

to the local context. Villagers sent thousands of

postcards to the Chief Minister, affirming their right to

safe drinking water and other public distribution

system entitlements. As street plays and folklore are

an intrinsic part of the culture of rural communities in

Odisha, Atmashakti invited theatre professionals to

train community members to design role-plays on

water, sanitation and hygiene. These performances

connected the messages of hygienic sanitation

practices to local problems. Slogans on community

walls reinforced the importance of potable water and

use of toilets. Protests and signature campaigns,

carried out once every three to four months, made it

clear that people wanted access to water and

sanitation entitlements, and pressurised the

government to respond.

Jan Sangathans panchayat are formed at village, , block

and district levels, with an apex body at the state level

known as the Odisha Shrama Jeebi Manch (OSM)

(Figure 3). All 15 districts in Odisha have district-level

Sangathans, working on the same guidelines but

known by different names, to identify with the

objectives of people in their respective districts.

Institutional Arrangements

people's needs, strengths, capacities and motivation

to come forward as a collective for the larger good of

households and the village. meet Sangathans

frequently to discuss issues, share application

statuses and plan follow-up activities. This novel

institutional arrangement at all levels, from the villages

at the base of the pyramid to the state apex body,

interfaces with government to access public rights,

including water, sanitation and hygiene entitlements.

Postcard Campaign for safe drinking water , Atmashakti

Postcard Campaign for Safe Drinking Water, Atmashakti Figure 3: Institutional Arrangements, Atmashakti

State Level Apex Body

General Body

(62 people)

Odisha Shrama Jeebi Manch

(OSM)

Executive Committee

»

State team coordinates

with the state apex

body of OSM to

interface with state

government

(5 people)

General Body

»

District Level

Office Bearers District team leaders

support coordinators in

case of problems in

application process

Block Level

Office Bearers

(5 people)

»General Body

Senior Coordinator

facilitates process with

support of team leader

Panchayat Level

(8-10 people)

»Panchayat Level Committee

Village Level Committee

Jan Sathi/Junior

Coordinator facilitates

application process to

assess entitlements at

panchayat level


8



Solar-Power Based Piped Water Supply

Impact

In Odisha, participants contributed INR 2.9 lakhs

towards raising awareness and accessing

entitlements. Consequently, a total of 1,240 villages

constructed over 76,266 toilets. To ensure and

improve water supply, villages repaired hand pumps,

installed new ones and constructed solar-based water

plants. Funds from MGNREGA, SBM and RWSS

programmes added up to nearly INR 20 crores worth

Box 1: Power of a United Collective in

Leveraging Resources

The community-led entitlement approach to access

SBM facilities resulted in funds being leveraged from a

variety of sources to create water, sanitation and

hygiene infrastructure on scale (Box 1).

Badliguda village in Udulibeda panchayat of

Maithli block in Malkangiri, Odisha, has 27

households. The community has been part of

the Jan Sangathan since its inception in 2013.

Trinath Badanayak, a Jan Sathi, explained the

power of collectives, importance of toilets and

safe drinking water, and benefits of SBM,

MGNREGA and other development schemes.

The community thus identified their needs,

developed a plan, and submitted it in the Palli

Sabha. Their efforts ensured a tank was built

and a solar energy-based pump installed to

supply water under the Rural Water Supply

Scheme (RWSS). Under SBM, all 27 households

had toilet and piped water supply access. Lokhi

Pujari, a male Sangathan member stated, “It is a

matter of dignity and a toilet is a good option, so

we use it.” For women like Sukhri Pujari, toilets

represent safety and convenience, “If we go out,

there is a fear of snakes, lizards and bears. While

this was a practice from our forefather's days, now

that times have changed, we need to have better

facilities.”

Source: Focus Group Discussion, Jan Sangathan members,

March 2018

of water, sanitation and

hygiene assets.

Box 2: Building Women's Agency to Access

Entitlements

Hemgir block in Sundargarh district of Odisha is

a mining area where tribals lacked clean

drinking water and toilets, despite the strong

need felt, specifically by women. Through

Atmashakti, women from the in Jan Sangathans

Hemgir's Podapathar village fought to access

safe drinking water. Finally, piped water

connections were installed in all 45 households

in the village. Thereafter, the first exclusive

women's cadre of was formed in Sangathans

Hemgir, with a focus on toilet construction. In

the villages of Naudhi (Hemgir) and Badamput

(Koraput), women demanded the release of

delayed payments from BDOs. Under pressure,

payments were released to both villages, with

Badamput receiving INR 58,000. Atmashakti's

strong set of institutional arrangements is

modelled to build sustainability. Their belief in

the mobilised strength and participation of the

collective to access public entitlements has

created a best practice.

Source: Focus Group Discussion, Jan Sathis, March 2018

A strong gender-based

approach helped

Sangathan women

access toilets and

drinking water (Box 2).

Atmashakti apprises the

community on

entitlements, directs

them to the appropriate government department, and

facilitates paperwork. With this focus, the institutional

arrangements allow empowered Community Based

Organisations (CBOs) to interface with government at

all levels.


9



Risks and Enablers

Research-Based Behavioural Change

Communication Approach

CoG, a professional communications agency, designed

a research-based communications campaign to

change behaviours. The objective was to demonstrate

to government the optimal usage of IEC allocation

under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA), and to develop

a targeted strategy to encourage the building and use

of toilets. Davangere district in Karnataka was

selected as it was an average performing district with

an administration committed to the cause of

sanitation.

Immersive Research

CoG's strategy involved ethnographic and immersive

research in select Gram Panchayats (GPs),

complemented by quantitative research and analysis.

The aim was to understand the motivational factors

and barriers to adoption of safe sanitation practices.

Catalysts for behaviour change that emerged included

aspirations towards modernity, comfort, convenience

and safety for the elderly and women. Besides

An entitlement and activist approach to access

schemes is meant to ensure government

accountability, but runs the risk of straining relations

with the administration. Atmashakti handled this by

ensuring that the community, and not the organisation,

was leading the process to access entitlements.

A premier organisation (CoG) was identified to

research and design behavioural change strategies

that would result in better sanitation practices.

Process

The risk of long-term sustainability was sought to be

overcome by Jan Sangathans levying an annual

membership fee of INR 60 per person. This fund is

used to leverage resources and entitlements for

members from various public schemes, including

sanitation.

motivational change, a major finding was that supply-

side issues could be addressed through

communication to change behaviour. Identification of

bottlenecks such as delays in release of incentives,

lack of information on the eligibility process,

availability of funds and difficulties in navigating

bureaucracy helped reduce supply-side barriers.

Campaign strategy and design informed by research

l Established credibility around SBM entitlements and

incentives

Based on research findings, the BCC strategy

employed a two-pronged approach to amplify

motivators for demand, reduce barriers and address

supply-side bottlenecks.

On the demand side, the BCC:

l Built on latent demand from women. Ethnographic

research showed that while women clearly wanted

toilets, the decision was not theirs alone to make. It

was a challenge for women to make independent

financial decisions, negotiate with GPs, Block

Development Officers (BDOs), constructors and

suppliers or even to express this need openly within

their own families

l Used positive emotional triggers such as

responsibility, caring, empathy and safety to

encourage demand through the men (e.g. The

Responsible Father campaign)

Jaldi Campaign Elements

In keeping with its meaning of 'fast', the Jaldi

campaign motivated community members to build

toilets quickly, with the government promising to

release incentives promptly. This was achieved by

reducing barriers and amplifying motivational triggers.

l Empowered the community, increased awareness

on availability of funds and schemes, clarified

eligibility and simplified the SBM application

process

On the supply side, the BCC:


10



l The Jaldi Campaign Comes Home: In a unique

initiative, GPs

sent Swachhata

Doots (SDs) to

every house, thus

overcoming the

problem of

householders

inconveniently

running from

pillar to post. SDs

and Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members went

door-to-door, handing out invitations to

informational events. They explained the eligibility

and application process and helped community

members access incentives.

l CEO's Invitation to Eligible Members: Direct

communication from the CEO promised that the

Jaldi campaign would

not let people down.

He extended

invitations to those

without toilets,

confirmed eligibility

and encouraged them

to construct toilets.

Once the householder

l Demystification of SBM Application Processes:

Workshops with district staff helped simplify the

application process into six sequential steps. This

uncomplicated procedure was conveyed to

community members, thus enabling them to apply

for and access funds.

l Creative Use of Media: Films, games, songs, and

messages on loudspeakers disseminated

information on good sanitation practices. Slogans

on the importance of safe sanitation practices and

toilet use, SBM application procedures and names

of eligible households were painted on walls.

Reducing Barriers

Establishing Trust

decided, the SD Block Coordinator followed up to

ensure that the toilet was built.

l Disbursement of Incentives: In order to re-establish

government credibility lost due to payment delays, a

promise was made by the CEO of the district and

Zilla Panchayat president to disburse SBM

incentives within 20 days. Panchayat members were

trained to clear dues and speed up the disbursement

process.

l Emotional Triggers: Animated films, paintings and

songs on the themes of a 'responsible man' and

'responsible father' were easily remembered and

decisively changed the perceptions and behaviour of

the community. One street play had the man taking

on a woman's role, thereby realizing the difficulties

women faced. Testimonials from people who had

built toilets when getting married, or when there was

a pregnant woman or a sick person in the house, or

l The Responsible Father: Toilet building involves

financial decisions, negotiations with panchayat

officials, suppliers and builders, as well as

construction. CoG adopted the theme of the

'responsible father', who showed concern for his

family and was conscientious about taking care of

their safety and health. This image, rather than that

of a 'loving husband', resonated strongly with men,

serving as the motivator that inspired them to make

the final decision.

Amplifying Motivators

The Responsible Father Campaign


A Swachhta Doot connects with a

Beneficiary at Home

The Jaldi Promise by the CEO - A Film

11




The BCC campaign included a whole cross-section of

actors, from SDs, ASHA workers, anganwadi workers

and NBA volunteers, to panchayat development and GP

officials. Arghyam and the district NBA team guided

and supported 25 GPs and six taluk panchayats to

procure campaign materials. In total, there were 40

persons in nine teams. Each team included an

assistant campaign manager from an NGO, two or

when they had more funds, were also positive

triggers. Posters and pamphlets reiterated the Jaldi

campaign's theme of a 'responsible father' and his

happy family meeting the challenges of life with

dignity.

Arghyam partnered with the Rural Development and

Panchayati Raj (RDPR) department of the Government

of Karnataka to launch a robust, professionally-

designed behaviour change campaign in Davangere

with the expertise of communication specialists from

CoG. The arrangement was that the state government

would utilise IEC allocations under the NBA for the

production of materials and the roll-out of the

campaign, while Arghyam would support the agencies

and an external evaluation of the campaign. Prior to

the commencement of the campaign, Arghyam took

inputs from experts in the areas of sanitation, gender,

communication and rural development to gain a

holistic understanding. The campaign was further

developed in close collaboration with Davangere

district officials. Arghyam negotiated an agreement

with the RDPR to ensure householders were able to

interact directly with GP, PRI and district officials.

three artists and a driver-cum-technician. Arghyam

commissioned the Public Affairs Foundation, an

independent evaluation agency, to assess the impact

of the BCC and monitor its progress.

Optimal Utilisation of SBM's IEC component: Arghyam,

through a Memorandum of Understanding with the

RDPR department of the Government of Karnataka,

obtained IEC funds to roll out the BCC. CoG designed

the BCC to fit within the NBA's IEC component, which

was 5% of the state's toilet construction budget, or INR

900 per toilet. This can be further optimized to fit the

SBM provision of INR 500 per toilet.

Influence of Campaign Messages: Impact was assessed

by comparing households that participated and

benefitted from the campaign to a control group with

similar socio-economic characteristics. The Jaldi

campaign targeted 15,037 households (Figure 4). Of

Impact

15,037 households introduced

to the campaignJaldi

93% were reached out to

of which

31.5% of the intervened

households completed

toilet construction

of which

37.6% approached Gram

Panchayats for toilet

applications

of which

Figure 4: The Jaldi Campaign

9.5% constructed toilets

Where campaign was not introduced

Source: Revanasiddappa, community member, Sokke village,

Davangere, Ending Open Defecation in India, p 21

“The reason why I built these toilets is because

women had to travel very far for defecation. It was a

big problem for them. How can they go to the open

fields in the day or at night? It was very difficult. I

could not see them suffering.”


12



Standardised messages run the risk of being

ineffective, since recipients may not identify with

them. Therefore, effective use of IEC funds would

involve getting professional expertise to tailor the BCC

A well-researched BCC uses messaging that is

tailored to the local context, needs of the region,

cultural practices and belief systems. It is important to

use motivational and emotional triggers to generate

demand, rather than relying solely on traditional,

health-based messaging. Reducing barriers in the

supply of toilets is as important as amplifying

motivators to build them.

In Davangere, where the district administration's

commitment was high, BCC was rolled out on a large

scale with functionaries at different levels.

Researching, designing and testing messages and

training staff for deployment and implementation are

time-consuming processes. This strategy runs the risk

of not working in areas where the institutional

commitment is not uniform or in place. Concerted

advocacy is needed to build commitment at all levels.

Therefore, for BCC to be effective, implementers and

stakeholders must be ready to invest a substantial

amount of time and resources to conduct the

campaign.

Risks and Enablers

these, 81% reported a better understanding of

incentives available, the dangers of open defecation

and the benefits of having a toilet. The government's

promise of disbursing incentives within 20 days built

people's confidence and influenced 87% households to 13 build toilets.

Gender Specific Messaging: Emotion worked better

than logic for both genders. The film 'The Responsible

Father', for example, was effective in convincing men

to build toilets.

Key Messages

Way Forward

Generating demand using BCC requires district

governments to effectively use the underutilized IEC

component of SBM. Professional expertise to design

a tailored BCC is needed, rather than using

standardised messages developed for other contexts.

Thus, to encourage governments to use this

component, expenditure on IEC should be displayed

prominently on the SBM dashboard, along with

updated information on the construction of toilets.

Demand generated through an entitlement approach

needs to be complemented by strong community-

based organisations at different levels, as in the case

of Atmashakti. Strengthening institutions requires

concerted investment, which Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) companies can focus on,

particularly in remote areas where people are not

aware of their entitlements.

Building community awareness using an entitlement

approach is a promising way of generating demand, as

is the use of IEC to demystify the SBM process.

Additionally, institutional commitment must be

fostered to improve the response to demand for SBM

entitlements and reduce supply-side barriers.

to the local community and context. Despite this

expertise being expensive, district governments need

to understand the value of a professionally-designed

campaign to effectively reach audiences.

On the supply side, promoting government

transparency and accountability is necessary to

restore and build trust. Instruments like the Jaldi

campaign can expedite disbursements of incentives,

and commitment from above can motivate

government functionaries to deliver the programme

more effectively.

13 Ibid, p 66


Chapter 3

12 https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/reduction-in-overall-allocation-for-swachh-bharat-abhiyan-in-budget2018-may-hinder-the- missions-progress-feel-experts-17167/

10 http://swachhbharatmission.gov.in/sbmcms/about-us.htm

11 Guidelines for Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), pg. 13, http://swachhbharatmission.gov.in/sbmcms/writereaddata/images/pdf/Guidelines/Complete-set-guidelines.pdf

13

Other government schemes, such as the National Rural Livelihood Mission

(NRLM), could offer gap-financing mechanisms to rural households to

finance toilet construction. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment

Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) sites can be useful points of contact for

increased outreach, particularly to communicate water, sanitation and

hygiene benefits and demystify SBM procedures. However, before eliciting

the support of these programmes, grassroots functionaries need orientation

on SBM and its goals. By collaborating with CSOs, CBOs, Panchayati Raj

Institution (PRI) functionaries, anganwadi teachers, Accredited Social Health

Activist (ASHA) workers and other frontline staff, the SBM programme can

mobilise additional human resources, facilitate convergence and gain

access to experts in the field of sanitation. Arghyam has supported two

The primary challenge for the SBM programme is to change behaviour and

attitudes towards open defecation, and to build community ownership over

toilets. It requires trained personnel with close links to the community to

mobilise, educate and motivate them on toilet use. Central government

budgets for Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities are

largely underutilised due to the limited manpower and capacities of SBM

staff. Access to marginalised communities to build awareness and

ownership, compulsory for sustained behavioural change, thus requires the

combined effort of governments, NGOs, CSOs and Community Based

Organisations (CBOs).

Partnerships Between Government and Civil SocietyContext

The government has the resources, mandate and ability to operate on

scale, but is often unable to connect with the poorest of poor and

does not have the bandwidth to build capacities at different levels.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations

(CSOs), on the other hand, play an important role in identifying target groups

and developing specific interventional strategies for their benefit. With a

large workforce at the grassroots, such organisations can successfully build

and sustain relationships with the community. CSOs, with their in-depth

understanding and strong community ties, bridge the gap between

government and citizens by raising awareness and building capacities.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) guidelines give district officials flexibility to

collaborate with NGOs and CSOs, both of which have the credentials to

provide outreach to all stakeholders, including the last mile.


14

Chapter 3Partnerships Between Government

and Civil Society

Joint Implementation of SBM with

Government

The Dindigul district administration considers

Gandhigram Trust a credible social service

organisation as it has been involved in rural

development, particularly sanitation, since 1947. With

the financial and technical support of Arghyam, it has

been implementing water, sanitation and hygiene

activities in three Gram Panchayats of Dindigul from

2008-13. It worked towards changing behaviour

around sanitation, constructed toilets and provided

training on use and maintenance. Gandhigram worked

with the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA)

from 2014-18 to implement SBM in Dindigul, with

financial support from Arghyam.

organisations in Tamil Nadu through grants to engage

with government, namely:

2. Gramalaya to build government capacity to

implement SBM

1. The Gandhigram Trust to jointly implement SBM

with government

Process

Women Cluster Facilitators (WCFs): Gandhigram's Block

Project Officer (BPO) hired WCFs to support and guide

Swachhata Doots (SDs) or Community Persons (CPs),

who are employed by the panchayat. They visited

homes to raise awareness and generate demand, and

helped with the application process (Box 3).

Pre- and post-toilet construction orientation: A key

outreach strategy was pre- and post-toilet

construction orientations. Gandhigram and

government staff conducted these orientations at

toilet sites. They educated householders on the

importance and health benefits of toilets and how to

maintain and clean them. After construction,

Gandhigram visited homes and held meetings to

reinforce these messages.

Change in Role from Implementer to Resource Agency:

Gandhigram provided human resource and operational

support to the government, built capacities of field-

level functionaries, and implemented and monitored

SBM activities. Their approach involved local people,

and being the link between community and

government. Gandhigram shared information on SBM

schemes at MGNREGA work sites, resulting in many

applications for SBM incentives.

Box 3: Grassroots Collaboration at the

Panchayat Level

Shanmugham,

secretary of

Kalikampatti

panchayat, has been

working with the

government for 18

years, from NBA to

SBM, and exclusively

on sanitation since

2007. He believes that

a key objective of

SBM is to ensure behaviour change. Kalikampatti

comprises eight hamlets with 1,056 households, of

which 902 use toilets regularly. Around 154 households

Shanmugham declared that, “The bulk of awareness

building and outreach in Kalikampatti was due to

Gandhigram's WCFs, who helped CPs and community

motivators.” He named several processes of

Gandhigram as helpful for SBM implementation.

“WCFs in particular played a key role in sharing

information between stakeholders, then monitoring and

following up on construction and usage. The awareness

created around sanitation, as well as Gandhigram's pre-

and post-construction orientation for households, was also

very beneficial. Another key factor was the revolving fund,

through which over 25% of toilets were built.”

have not built toilets, either because of lack of space or

because they live in rented houses. Some do not have a

patta (the official government document on land

ownership).


P. Shanmugham, Panchayat Secretary, Kalikkampatti

15


and Civil Society

Capacity Building: Gandhigram trained government

functionaries on achieving open defecation free

(ODF) villages and improving health outcomes.

They used existing IEC material on behaviour

change to train CPs and WCFs to raise awareness

on water, sanitation and hygiene. They held

capacity-building workshops for WCFs on toilet

technology and provided them with guidelines on

operating revolving funds.

WCFs learned how to use a mobile application,

provided by Arghyam, for data collection. They

understood the importance of quick updation of

reliable data online. The BPO trained WCFs in

leadership and communication, empowering them to

manage CPs and act as information conduits between

the government, community and Gandhigram.

Additionally, CPs received training on their roles and

responsibilities, toilet construction and on SBM

guidelines.

Gandhigram oriented and trained panchayat and

village-level functionaries and community players like

school teachers, anganwadi staff, noon meal

organisers, sweepers and masons on sanitation.

Gandhigram equipped panchayat secretaries to

support the community on SBM processes, including

release of incentives and access to support

infrastructure such as water supply and electricity.

They facilitated the timely payment of taxes so that

people were not denied access to these services.

To build an enabling environment for community

access to SBM facilities, the structure of the

relationship between the district administration and

Gandhigram is comprehensive and efficient (Figure 5).

The district administration, in an informal agreement

with Gandhigram, collaborated to develop a SBM

action plan.


Figure 5: District SBM Project Operational Structure

Women Cluster Facilitators

Ÿ Support & Monitor Community Persons

Ÿ OutreachŸ Monitor construction &

Use

1. Block Project Officer2. Technical Officer

Ÿ Capacity building of Women Cluster Facilitators/stakeholders

Ÿ Monitoring of toilet construction & outreach

Ÿ Financial support to plan beneficiary list for revolving fund

Ÿ Preparation of IEC material & conducting training

Ÿ Liasoning/networking and building rapport

1. Programme Manager

3. Block Project Officer2. Liason Officer

Gandhigram Operational StructureGovernment SBM Operational Structure

Engineer

District Rural Development Agency, Executive

Block Development Officer, Junior

Engineer

Zonal Officers Coordinator,

Block

Site Supervisors MGNREGA

Community Persons

Overseers

Schools, Anganwadis, ASHA workersMasons (For construction of toilets)

Panchayati Raj Institutions

Village Poverty Reduction Committee

National Service Scheme

Youth groups Self help

groups


16


and Civil Society

Impact

WCFs, being from the community, were an innovative

addition to institutional arrangements and played a

critical role. Their functions included intensifying

outreach, documentation and monitoring, and helping

people access financial aid. They acted as a channel

between government and communities. The

Panchayat Secretary, with support from WCFs and

CPs, selected households for toilet construction. Block

Development Officers (BDOs) and Gandhigram's team

manager made recommendations on those eligible for

financial aid through the revolving fund provided by

Arghyam. Together, they engaged in planning,

implementation, documentation and report writing.

Gandhigram's technical officer worked with the BDO to

train masons, monitor latrine construction, and

identify and report construction issues.

The sharing of responsibilities between government

and NGOs expedites programme functioning. The local

administration acknowledged Gandhigram's diligence

in three blocks of Dindigul and invited them to extend

their initiatives in two additional blocks. With financial

and technical support from Arghyam, Gandhigram was 14able to facilitate construction of 41,588 toilets in five

15 Leveraging Swachh Bharat Mission Activities in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu State,

Project Evaluation Report, April 2014 – March 2018, p7

14 Gandhigram Trust, 2018

Figure 6: Construction of Toilets by Year

Ramanidhi, SBM District Coordinator avers, “ODF is

not a success, it is a status. We have to target children

to achieve sustainability. Ten years ago, usage of

toilets was 20-25%. Over the last few years, usage has

increased to over 80%.” He attributes this

achievement largely to the administration's

partnership with Gandhigram (Box 4). Gandhigram was

able to successfully get overdue payments released to

CPs, who in turn promoted efficient toilet 15construction.

Ramanidhi has

been working as

SBM District

Coordinator for

over 12 years.

He coordinates

the planning,

implementation

and monitoring

of SBM in

Dindigul, which includes outreach, procuring IEC

materials and formation of village, block and

district level committees. He said that

Gandhigram's practices of creating grassroots-

level awareness through Self Help Groups (SHGs),

forming school health committees monitored by

WCFs, and creating an interest-free revolving fund

were all useful for SBM. Pre- and post-toilet

construction orientation was a key strategy that

involved government and Gandhigram staff

visiting the households building a toilet. Refresher

sessions were conducted on the importance of

construction and maintenance. “Firstly,

government training took place at the Gandhigram

blocks. The organisation now associates with SBM

staff at all levels and complements their work with

additional human resources. This collaboration

resulted in the steep growth of toilet construction

between 2014–2018 (Figure 6).

Box 4: Sharing Human Resources

Ramanidhi, District Coordinator, Dindigul

(Centre) and Gandhigram staff


17


and Civil Society

Gandhigram's credibility with the Dindigul

administration, after having worked in the area for

many years, enabled a conducive environment for

collaboration. Their good relationship with the

government made Gandhigram an ideal partner to

further the local administration's SBM activities. This

approach might not have worked with a relatively new

organisation that is yet to build its reputation. An NGO

with a high level of trustworthiness is therefore a

Gandhigram, with the support of the assistant

education officer and 213 school heads, imparted

knowledge on good sanitation practices in Athoor,

Vathalagundu and Vadamadurai. Teachers from 472

anganwadis were shown how to maintain toilets and 16taught the importance of good hygiene practices.

campus. Government has technical staff, such as

engineers and overseers, whereas on the monitoring

function, Gandhigram has been a key resource.”

Ramanidhi further elaborated the relevance of

Gandhigram's role, “In the sanitation programme,

WCFs were the main people between the community

and government. The relationship between

Gandhigram and government has evolved naturally. It

has become a very cooperative relationship. I would

even go as far to say that Gandhigram is not an NGO

anymore, they are an agency for the government.”

Risks and Enablers

Mutual trust between government and NGOs is an

issue that needs addressing. This can be done

through regular dialogue and exchange of information.

CSOs, who are dependent on government agencies for

funds, are often seen as contractors and forced to be

subordinate. With funding from Arghyam, Gandhigram

complemented the government's sanitation efforts in a

seamless manner. This also allowed them to question

officials and hold the government accountable. A key

enabler has therefore been Gandhigram's

independence from government, facilitated by outside

funding.

CSOs can reach scale only with government support,

and their objectives must align with those of the

government. Gandhigram has had an informal

arrangement with the district administration and is an

added resource for the block office. Dindigul's SBM

coordinator, when asked about their relationship,

explained it simply, “Gandhigram's work would not have

happened without government support, and government

work would not have happened without Gandhigram's

support.” Cooperation between Gandhigram and

government allowed for a healthy working relationship,

even in the absence of a formal agreement. The

relationship worked and continues to work.

prerequisite to initiatives requiring government

collaboration.

Key Messages

Building Government Capacity to

Implement

With over two decades of experience in the water and

sanitation sectors, Gramalaya has been recognised as

a National Key Resource Centre for providing training

and support. Gramalaya works with grassroots

communities and converts the lessons from this

experience into training modules for government or

communities. The Tamil Nadu government capitalised

on Gramalaya's expertise to embed water, sanitation

and hygiene components into its Pudhu Vaazhvu

Project (PVP). Arghyam supported Gramalaya's role as

technical support organisa ion for PVP.t

Process

As a pilot, Gramalaya trained a cadre of PVP

functionaries on sanitation and SBM activities. It

developed training manuals on Community Led Total

Sanitation (CLTS), toilet technology options and

hygiene education for sustainable sanitation, which

they then used to create master trainers. It was

envisioned that these master trainers would help the

programme scale up by imparting training on

16 ibid


18


and Civil Society

Community Led Total Sanitation (Box 5): PVP master

trainers oriented Village Panchayati Raj Committee

(VPRC) members, CBOs, CPs, workers, and anganwadi 17village and school representatives on CLTS and

hygiene education for sustainable sanitation.

Participants were taught to facilitate CLTS exercises

at the field level. Master trainers focussed on

generating demand for toilets and increasing usage to

ensure an ODF environment.

sanitation in 15 districts identified by the Tamil Nadu

government. This would help make these blocks ODF.

Toilet Technology: State-level PVP officials were

trained on technologies and types of toilet suitable for

different terrains. They were taken to Gramalaya's

National Institute for Water and Sanitation (NIWAS),

where different toilet models were displayed, to enable

them to understand costs and specifications. This

Developing IEC Material for Outreach: Gramalaya

developed and equipped PVP staff with IEC flip charts,

pamphlets and stickers. They built community

ownership and awareness on hygienic sanitation

practices and health. Gramalaya encouraged self help

group, village-level and school-level meetings on

health to ensure widespread community participation.

Systematising Training: Gramalaya created manuals for

grassroots functionaries that taught water, sanitation

and hygiene concepts, stakeholder roles and

responsibilities, and methods to achieve and maintain

ODF communities.

17 http://www.communityledtotalsanitation.org/page/clts-approach

Box 5: Community Led Total Sanitation

(CLTS) is an innovative community

mobilisation methodology where the community

conducts their own appraisal and analysis of the

open defecation situation and takes action. This

paved the way towards a participatory model to

initiate sanitation where behavioural change is

key to promoting ownership and regular usage

of toilets. The CLTS approach aims to trigger a

collective change in the community, which can

then develop appropriate local solutions to

achieve ODF status.

Pudhu Vaazhvu Project (PVP): Through its outreach

mechanisms, Gramalaya trained personnel from PVP,

the Tamil Nadu state poverty reduction and livelihood

programme under NRLM, to reach out to the

community on water, sanitation and hygiene concepts,

impart information on hygiene, and monitor the


helped in planning and budgeting in their areas of

operation.

This included a mix of institutions within government,

CSOs and CBOs. NIWAS is accredited by the Ministry

of Drinking Water and Sanitation as a key resource

centre for training and capacity building around health

and sanitation. People visit NIWAS to see various

models of toilets and understand costs and

specifications. State-level PVP officials visit to

understand toilet technologies, types of structures to

build and budgets required.

Gramalaya carried out an in-depth study on latrine pits

to help build low cost and appropriate toilets, thus

contributing to an increase in demand. They

demonstrated that twin-pit toilets were cost efficient

and could be built within INR 10,000, and dismantled

the myth that only the rich could afford to build septic

tanks. Once people understood that the tank did not

need to be emptied for at least five years, they came

forward in large numbers to build and use this model.

Pudhu Vaazhvu Project - Officials Being Trained


19


and Civil Society

Gramalaya's technical resource support facilitated

scale and built 40,178 toilets using the prescribed

design, a twin leach pit model. Consequently, 223

villages in 118 panchayats were declared ODF. The

training created 225 PVP master trainers, who 18conducted outreach in 750 villages of the five blocks.

With support from Arghyam, Gramalaya played the role

of technical resource agency. They were instrumental

in increasing sanitation coverage by lending expertise

to the PVP and the community through capacity

building and training. Gramalaya also made loans

available to the community through their subsidiary

microcredit organisation, Guardian.

Risks and Enablers

Many trainers, who practised open defecation

themselves, were unaware of the harm to health that it

causes. With Gramalaya's training, they understood

the linkages between open defecation, increased

medical expenses and the consequent drain on

finances. Once the Training of Trainers (ToT) was

completed, motivated trainers built twin-pit toilets in

their homes and became role models for their

communities. When they trained people on the

dangers of open defecation and on toilet usage, they

showcased their own toilets. This became an

important tool to convince communities to build

toilets and access SBM facilities.

To reach scale, organisations involved in direct

implementation have limitations. The Memorandum

of Understanding signed between Gramalaya and the

Tamil Nadu government did not include any financial

arrangements for services, as Arghyam supported

them. All government resources went directly to the

community. Gramalaya staff members acted as

facilitators and capacity builders, and were not

involved in implementation. Switching roles from

direct implementer to resource agency to help

government execute was an important enabler for

Impact construction of toilets. Their capacities were further

developed to mobilise the community, promote

construction of appropriately designed toilets, and

ensure usage (Box 6).

PVP is an empowerment and poverty reduction

programme implemented by the Rural

Development and Panchayati Raj department of

the Government of Tamil Nadu with World Bank

assistance. PVP is headed by a District

Programme Manager and an Assistant

Programme Manager at the district level. Block

and cluster facilitators work with the community.

MaKaMai or Makkal Katram Maiyyam/Magamai

is a 20-member resource centre comprising VPRC

members, self-help group representatives and

Panchayat Level Federation (PLF) members. They

provide services on institutional development,

savings and credit, and strengthening of

community professions and livelihoods.

Considering PVP's wide outreach, they were

identified to address sanitation by interlinking

outcomes of better health and hygiene to

productivity and poverty elimination.

Through the PVP project, Gramalaya has strengthened

MaKaMai, a CBO. The Community Professional Unit

within MaKaMai focuses on identifying, training and

building the capacities of Community Professionals

(CPs) to provide services to VPRCs, Panchayat Led

Federations, SHGs and PRIs. MaKaMai personnel from

15 districts were trained on community approaches to

sanitation, and educated on health and hygiene, toilet

technology and formation of CBOs. With these

resources, water, sanitation and hygiene activities

were implemented across 15 blocks in 15 districts of

507 panchayats, reaching a scale of 75,000

households.

Box 6: Pudhu Vaazhvu Project (PVP) as a

Platform for Water, Sanitation and

Hygiene

18 Document from Gramalaya titled 'Gramalaya_300 words'


20


and Civil Society

Key Messages

By building and strengthening relationships between

government and community, organisations can get

around the robust administrative arrangement of

government systems and procedures. Gandhigram

and Gramalaya were able to support the government

and hold them accountable due to the financial

independence arising from Arghyam's support.

Way Forward

Getting the administration to process payments is a

challenge even today. This is especially true when

Donors and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

programmes can support technical organisations like

Gramalaya to undertake capacity building and training

roles within SBM. This will build government capacity

to implement SBM in the future, while enhancing

sanitation coverage in rural India.

scaling up interventions. However, because they were

not directly engaged with implementation, Gramalaya

was not able to monitor the quality of work on the

ground.

Gramalaya's experience and knowledge made them an

authority on sanitation and they had already

established NIWAS, a centre for toilet technology and

training. This expertise enabled Gramalaya to take on

the role of effectively building government capacity to

implement SBM.

Programmes such as PVP can be dovetailed into

sanitation to increase the reach and coverage of SBM,

which otherwise lacks the human resources needed

for penetration and quality execution of water,

sanitation and hygiene activities.

Government personnel at the grassroots level are wary

of partnerships with NGOs, whom they feel could

loosen their grip over development activities in the

area. Therefore, these relationships often face

stumbling blocks. Partnerships are usually sustainable

when there is no financial dependency and the playing

field is built on mutual respect.

It is evident that the opportunity for CSOs to engage

with government lies in integrating its vision with that

of national development programmes. When the

government's institutional, administrative and

infrastructural framework is complemented by the

community outreach and expertise of civil society, it

provides a basis for critical synergies and

partnerships.

Educating grassroots committees on the sanitation

programme is crucial to attaining an ODF society.

Gramalaya and Gandhigram ensured community

access to trained personnel, whom they trusted since

they belonged to the same communities they were

working in.

trying to access incentives for Individual Household

Latrine (IHHL) construction and for sanitation

messengers. Delays in the release of funds lead to

communities and functionaries being demotivated.

Gap financing and the timely release of incentives

restores trust and builds government credibility with

CPs.


Chapter 4

21

An appropriate behavioural and communication strategy is essential to

ensuring toilet use and maintenance. Specifically tailored messages need to

be designed to address cultural, religious and social barriers to toilet usage.

Recognizing the importance of Behavioural Change Communication (BCC),

SBM guidelines stipulate that 8% of the total budget be allocated to

Information, Education and Communication (IEC) to create awareness and

generate demand. However, these budgets have not been adequately used. 21Between the financial years of 2014-15 and 2016-17 , IEC expenditure

dropped from INR 157 crores to INR 56 crores (4% to 1% of total SBM

expenditure, respectively).

Toilet Usage and Maintenance

To address these critical bottlenecks, Arghyam supported the following

strategies:

l Defunct SBM toilets were made functional with Bhartiya Jan Utthan

Parishad (BJUP) in Bihar using targeted, innovative and inclusive

methods

Toilet usage is also a function of the degree to which demand is generated

and the sense of ownership on the part of the household. Swachh Bharat

Mission guidelines mandate that hire Swachhagrahis or panchayats

Community Persons (CPs) to educate the community on good sanitation

practices, generate demand for toilets and ensure their usage. They also

monitor the quality of toilets built by government contractors or

households. CPs are entitled to incentives of INR 150 per toilet constructed 20and INR 150 for their use over three months or more. These dues are often

delayed or unpaid, and demotivated CPs do not carry out their

responsibilities, leading to insufficient demand for and low usage of toilets.

Context

While the focus of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has been on

construction of low-cost toilets, not enough attention has been

paid to factors that would ensure usage. Toilets are abandoned

due to flawed planning and design, seasonal migration, or non-availability of

water sources or functional sewage systems. Inferior quality of building

materials results in damages and the non-availability of maintenance funds

among the poor or within SBM budgets contributes to defunct toilets.

According to a baseline survey done in 2012, from the 88 lakh houses found 19having defunct toilets, only 1% were repaired as on 10 January 2017.

21 http://accountabilityindia.in/sites/default/files/pdf_files/BudgetBrief_SBM-G_2017-18.pdf, p. 5

19 http://accountabilityindia.in/sites/default/files/pdf_files/BudgetBrief_SBM-G_2017-18.pdf20

http://swachhbharatmission.gov.in/SBMCMS/writereaddata/Portal/Images/Complete_%20set_guidelines_1.pdf


22

Chapter 4Toilet Usage and Maintenance

Process

BJUP conducted a survey to identify households with

defunct toilets and to understand the causes for their

disuse. This was followed by active mobilization,

design of innovative IEC materials to build awareness

on water, sanitation and hygiene practices, and

motivating the community to participate in the

restoration of toilets. To build ownership, BJUP

created a document called , which Ruins of Toilets

recorded the state of each toilet before and after

repairs, with a signed commitment to use and care for

it after it was

renovated.

A baseline

survey carried

out across 584

households in

Giriak, a

backward block

in Nalanda,

Bihar, identified

313 defunct

toilets, i.e. only

l The capacity of sanitation messengers was enhanced

by Gandhigram in Tamil Nadu, who simultaneously

ensured that they received their SBM incentives

Restoring Defunct Toilets

In order to achieve open defecation free (ODF) villages,

everyone must have access to usable toilets. Hence, it

is critical to address the issue of defunct toilets. For

BJUP in Bihar, renovating these toilets was of

paramount importance, as SBM has no allowance for

repair and maintenance. The structures built by

contractors are often poorly designed and unusable.

The situation is compounded by the poor not having

funds for repairs. With the support of Arghyam, BJUP

launched a pilot project to repair defunct toilets.

l Research-driven behavioural nudges, designed with

the professional expertise of Final Mile, were used in

Karnataka to promote toilet usage

A Repaired Toilet

“If we are in a public place, we will choose to go to

a toilet that is clean, does not smell, and where we

are comfortable. A toilet will be used if it is

enjoyed. When we talk of toilets in our own homes,

we ensure that the best quality material is used

and it is designed to make us feel most

comfortable.”

49% were functional. The survey also indicated that

only 27% of persons with disabilities had access to

functional toilets. Toilets were abandoned due to poor

quality and impractical or dysfunctional designs. For

example, the heights of some toilets were a mere 3

feet, making it practically impossible for the average

adult to use. In other cases, contractors lured

households to build toilets by providing hand pumps

right next to them. The resultant water contamination

further led to disuse.

Abhishek, BJUP General Secretary, March 2018

Proper documentation fostered transparency. BJUP

introduced a social practice called the Community

Agreement, where a profile was created of each

household. A document was then signed by the

homeowner, agreeing to engage actively in the repair

of their toilet and stating their contribution to costs in

cash or kind. This document contained visual proof of

the toilet before and after repair. Field workers took

photographs of the homeowner in front of the defunct

BJUP not only promoted active community

participation in toilet renovation, but also garnered

people's support by building ownership over the

process. They held discussions with individual

households to understand their requirements before

starting any repairs. Field workers educated people on

the minimum and desirable standards and sizes for

toilets, and provided information on design elements

like good ventilation, good lighting, proper flushing

systems, doors with latches, and hand rails for the old

and disabled. This encouraged household involvement

in decision making during construction and

restoration, thus leading to better usage and

maintenance of toilets later on.


23


The BJUP team, along with ward members and

mukhiyas (village heads), re-established and made

operational Village Health and Sanitation Committees

(VHSCs), which had been dormant for five years. They

oriented the eleven VHSC members, including PRI

officials, mukhiyas, Jeevikas and community

representatives on their roles and responsibilities. As a

result, the mukhiya, sarpanch, ward members and

women from self-help groups took the lead in

BJUP created most awareness tools and IEC materials

in-house and displayed them through wall paintings,

street plays and books for school children and the

community. Writing water, sanitation and hygiene

messages on walls was useful because these were

seen repeatedly and left a lasting impression on

peoples' minds. Innovatively, BJUP distributed cards

with sanitation messages printed on one side and the

Hanuman Chalisa, a devotional hymn, on the other.

People were hesitant to discard the card as it

contained a sacred hymn, and this encouraged them

to also take notice of the water, sanitation and hygiene

messages on it.


toilet prior to starting work. Before signing the

document, people were encouraged to read what was

written. This familiarised them with the practice of

signing, so they did not get overwhelmed when

transacting with government. In this way, BJUP

ensured transparency while building community trust.

Raising Awareness in Schools on Hygiene

mobilising people for meetings. BJUP used the VHSC

monthly meetings as a platform to extend their reach

into the community, provide information on initiatives

and repair defunct toilets. They engaged with

government departments including BDOs, Public

Health Engineering Department (PHED) officials and

block officers during monthly meetings. BJUP

organized block and state level workshops, where

government officials were informed about the launch

of this unique initiative. A key innovation was the use

of Jeevikas, who became an additional human

resource in this intervention by enabling credit for

IHHL renovation (Box 7).

Box 7: Convergence of JEEViKA and SBM

to Repair Defunct Toilets

The Government of Bihar, through the Bihar Rural

Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS), is

spearheading a World Bank aided Bihar Rural

Livelihoods Project (BRLP), locally known as

JEEViKA, with the objective of social and

economic empowerment of the rural poor. The

women community leaders (also called Jeevikas)

appointed under JEEViKA, were provided with

targets to construct toilets and create awareness

in the community about usage. The Jeevikas, as

part of the VHSC, were in charge of the revolving

funds of self help groups from which women could

borrow to repair toilets.

Monthly VHSC Meetings


24


Financial Arrangements

The average cost of repairing a toilet was INR 10,307,

which included hardware, software, mobilisation and

human resources. Of this, Arghyam contributed INR

4,000 and the remaining was contributed by the

household in cash or labour. Depending on their need

and capacity, household contributions in cash ranged

from INR 1,140 to INR 6,200. A total of INR 28.9 lakhs

was spent on repairing 280 toilets, of which Arghyam

contributed INR 11.2 lakhs and the community INR 4.3

lakhs (14%). The human resource cost of the project

was approximately INR 13.4 lakhs (46%), also funded

by Arghyam.

BJUP's objective was to send a strong message to the

community that it is

possible to own a well-

built and functional

toilet. By ensuring

that households

contributed towards

renovation, toilet

ownership, usage and

maintenance

improved. BJUP

tracked usage through

house visits and

feedback during VHSC

meetings. Of a total of

313 defunct toilets, 280 were repaired and continue to

be used and maintained, while the remaining 33

households constructed new toilets under SBM.

Following the repair of defunct toilets in Nalanda

district, not only were these used and maintained, but

a decrease in the incidence of diseases like diarrhoea

was also observed. BJUP's outreach workers earlier

found it impossible to enter some villages due to the

filth along the roadside. Shaila Devi, a community 22member said , “Earlier we used to fall sick regularly,

Impact

22 Interview with Shaila Devi from Kandopur village of Giriak block in Bihar, March 2018

Toilet Customised for the Elderly

BJUP strengthened nine VHSCs to act as the

sanitation cadre at the community level. Information

on good sanitation practices and government

programmes was given to them to spread throughout

communities. The line departments appreciated

BJUP's work, acknowledging that government support

was mainly for construction of new toilets and that

there was no provision for repair and renovation. After

being revived and empowered, VHSC members actively

participated in selecting the neediest households to

repair toilets and monitored their use. They prioritised

women (Box 8), the elderly and persons with

disabilities in their efforts to increase sanitation

coverage.

especially during the rains, as it used to be dirty. But now

it is so clean that we can sit and eat in the toilet.”

Box 8: Increased Safety and Privacy for

Women

Shaila Devi said that she was motivated by BJUP

outreach workers, who explained that women

would not have to travel long distances or risk

being bitten by snakes or scorpions if they repaired

their toilets. She said, “There is an old lady in my

house. She uses the toilet now. Earlier, we had to

carry her outside. Now we are comfortable and

happy.” Babita, another community member, was

happy that the repaired toilet provided safety for

The women of

Kandopur village

recalled the time

when they had to

go into the fields

to relieve

themselves. Prior

to 2014, when the

government

provided toilets under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan

(NBA), they were badly constructed and could not

be used.

Satisfied SHG Members, Kandopur Village


25


Risks and Enablers

The risk of a target-driven approach assigned to

contractors meant scant attention to design or quality,

which rendered toilets unusable. Further, the poor

themselves are unaware that they have a choice. An

intensive case-by-case approach with appropriate

inputs will allow households to customise toilet

designs to their requirements.

There is an urgent need for policy makers to address

the issue of defunct toilets before further expenses are

incurred in building new and equally dysfunctional

ones. In order to avoid poorly-designed toilets, which

lead to disuse and disrepair, policy advocacy can

address the root of the matter, which is the lack of

household engagement. Ensuring community

involvement in design and construction at the outset

will ensure usability, comfort and functionality.

adolescent girls as well. Encouraged, she said, “We

are planning to approach the Block Development

Office together to demand clean water as the hand

pumps are dry. If we can get toilets, we can get

water, too.”

Source: Focus group discussion with women, Kandopur Village,

Adampur Gram Panchayat, March 2018

Building local institutional capacities on appropriate

designs helped refurbish toilets. Without this capacity,

the focus of government-enabled institutions like

VHSCs and panchayats remains on new construction,

rather than on repair and renovation.

Key Messages

The second risk associated with defunct toilets is the

complete lack of acknowledgement of the problem

itself on the part of policy makers, reflected in there

being no funds allocated for toilet repair. This made it

difficult for the poor to repair dysfunctional toilets.

Households need to contribute financially and

participate actively to ensure usability of toilets.

Donors and implementing agencies also need to invest

in this process.

SBM has no funds allocated for the repair of toilets,

hence corporates and donor agencies need to share

costs with the community by contributing at least 10-

15%.

With their intimate knowledge of the community they

service, Community Persons (CPs) provide vital links

between the community, Gram Panchayats and the

block level administration. In Dindigul, this group had

not been paid their incentive of INR 300 for every toilet

built and used. In April 2014, when Gandhigram

collaborated with the district administration for the

implementation of SBM, they decided to activate the

demotivated CP cadre to promote water and sanitation

activities in their respective panchayats.

In order to identify those who needed toilets the most,

the district administration prepared a survey format

for block level officers, who shared it with panchayat

secretaries. CPs conducted the survey, and collected

data on households that had toilets and those without,

as well as households that had and did not have the

space to construct toilets. Gandhigram facilitated the

collation of this data, along with data from panchayat

records, and finalised a list of households needing

toilets. Once this was ready, WCFs raised awareness

and motivated households on the importance of

toilets. CPs, now trained and motivated, identified

Using a multi-pronged approach, Gandhigram

enhanced CPs' capacities to educate the community

on the importance of eradicating open defecation, to

promote safe sanitation and hygienic practices and to

perform their jobs. In order to increase the pace and

intensity of sanitation activities, Gandhigram

employed Women Cluster Facilitators (WCFs), who

assisted the Block Project Officer (BPO) and CPs in 4-5

panchayats. Gandhigram also applied pressure on the

government to release incentives to CPs.

Incentivising and Enhancing

Capacities of Community Persons

Process

23 Gandhigram Activity Report, April 2016 – March 2017


26


24 Leveraging Swachh Bharat Mission Activities in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu state,

Project Evaluation Report, April 2014 – March 2018, p. 2525 Swachh Bharat Mission Project in Five Blocks of Dindigul district, Evaluation of the

Usage of Household Toilets in Dindigul district, Gandhigram Trust, March 2018

those who most needed government incentives,

ensured their toilet structures were of good quality,

and monitored IHHLs on proper usage and

maintenance.

Panchayats employ CPs or Swachhata Doots as

grassroots functionaries to visit homes and raise

awareness on water and sanitation hygiene practices,

In 2014–15, Gandhigram's technical team trained 105

local masons on building toilets the right way and

oriented them on site selection. Despite being

experienced, the masons were unfamiliar with the

honeycomb model of leach pits suitable for rural

areas. BDOs were part of the training process, and

were presented with an overview of SBM, sanitation

conditions in their areas, and the importance of toilets.

The training ensured participants understood that

toilets must be constructed at least 40 meters away

from drinking water sources to avoid water

contamination. They also learnt that leach pits should

not be constructed near running water, under a tree or

near a composting pit. Masons were taught the

precise size of bricks to be used and the exact

distance they should be placed from each other to

ensure that sand particles do not enter the leach pit

from the outside.

To ensure usage, engagement with households before

and after toilet construction was equally important.

After completing construction, WCFs in collaboration

with BPOs held follow-up meetings with households to

orient them on toilet usage and maintenance. They

visited households with newly-constructed toilets to

see if these were being maintained and used correctly.

Family members and children were given information

at their homes, on the do's and don'ts of toilet usage.

During the four year project period, a total of 699 post-

orientation meetings were conducted in which 38,378

people participated, of which 5,449 (15 %) were men 24and 32,929 (85%) were women.


Figure 7: Toilet Usage Across Gandhigram’s

Operational Area

Ponnuthai lives with her disabled daughter

Pillayammal in Veerakal panchayat of Athoor block

in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. Ponnuthai had to

carry her daughter to a drain near their house for

her to relieve herself. One day at work, Ponnuthai

heard about the availability of SBM incentives for

toilets, which her neighbours had already

accessed. The panchayat advised her to approach

Box 9: Making SBM More Inclusive

An evaluation conducted in March 2018 across the

five blocks of Gandhigram's operational area indicated 25an average of 82.1% usage levels (Figure 7). After

continuous follow-ups and frequent discussions with

the District Rural Development Agency-Swachh Bharat

Mission, BDOs, Block Coordinators and PRI officials,

Gandhigram was successful in getting the government

to release incentives to CPs. The Block Coordinator,

along with Gandhigram staff, strengthened the

commitment of CPs to the programme (Box 9).

generate demand for toilets, help with the application

process for incentives, and monitor individual

household latrine usage and maintenance. In this

intervention, CPs reported to Women Cluster

Facilitators (WCFs), an important human resource

hired to train and support them. The services of WCFs,

supported by Arghyam, cost less than INR 100 per

toilet, and this additional resource played a vital role in

capacitating CPs.

Impact


27


Gandhigram CPs Motivating Radhakrishna

Gandhigram to avail

of their revolving

fund.

Despite being a BBA graduate, Radhakrishna, a

resident of Kalikampatti village of Athoor block in

Tamil Nadu,

admitted to

being

unaware of

the dangers

of open

defecation.

He and his

family

defecated on the road. Radhakrishna said that

Gandhigram conducted meetings on keeping the

village clean and the importance of washing

hands, and demonstrated the ill effects of open

defecation. Their motivators and CPs conducted

street plays, and the district administration sent

out vehicles with loudspeakers to spread

messages on good sanitation.

CPs generated community demand to repair toilets

and monitored households to ensure they are used.

This resulted in increased ownership and usage of

toilets (Box 9 and Box 10).

Under the

supervision of WCFs

and CPs, the

government-assigned

contractor began

work on her toilet. Over a period of six months,

Ponnuthai put in her own labour, both to cut costs

and make sure the toilet suited her needs. Today,

Ponnuthai and Pillayammal say that the toilet is a

boon to them. “I wish I had built the toilet earlier. It

is so much more convenient and Pillayammal is so

much happier!'' exclaimed Ponnuthai.

Box 10: Awareness Leading to Toilet Use

Another enabling factor was the existence of

Gandhigram itself, an NGO with strong expertise in

sanitation. Gandhigram had built a good working

relationship with the district administration of Dindigul

He said that it was the panchayat president of his

village who motivated him and his family to

construct and start using their own toilet. In 2017,

with the help of the CP, his family submitted their

application for financial support from SBM. It was

approved, and they received an incentive of INR

12,000 within a week. Today, everyone in

Radhakrishna's family uses the toilet. Discussing

the change at home, Radhakrishna says, “Today we

can go to the toilet any time because it is in our

home. Relatives who visit find it convenient and time

saving. There are fewer instances of diseases,

because we are now aware and therefore practise

washing with soap at home.”

CPs, supported by headmasters and teachers, played

an important role in the functioning of school toilets.

Monitoring by CPs, WCFs and BPOs of Gandhigram

resulted in high usage levels in schools, namely 94.5%

in primary schools, 90.38% in middle schools and

100% in high schools (Figure 8).

Risks and Enablers

SBM guidelines propose the involvement and role of

CPs, and the incentives to promote sanitation goals.

Without being motivated and incentivised to engage

with communities at the grassroots, CPs cannot

generate demand or promote usage. Thus, despite

their being a critical link between the community and

SBM, operationalizing the function of CPs remains a

risk. Cognisant of this, Gandhigram designed a well-

planned mechanism to build capacities and incentivise

CPs. Externally funded WCFs (not supported by SBM)

constituted an enabling human resource mechanism

to activate CPs. Since CPs are at the very foundation

of SBM, WCFs ensured that they were trained,

motivated, paid and recognised for the important role

they play.

Difficulties of the disabled


28


Arghyam commissioned Final Mile, a professional

organisation specialising in behaviour architecture, to

analyse the reasons for the practice of open

defecation and lend their expertise to change

behaviours. Final Mile applied cognitive neuroscience

and behavioural economics to map existing social

networks, understand hierarchy of spaces, track

changes in personal and public behaviour, recognise

Behavioural Nudges for Toilet Use

Since CPs are at the root of the sanitation workforce

and sensitise the community about toilet usage, they

must be properly trained and regularly incentivised.

They need to be updated and trained regularly on SBM

procedures and benefits, along with community

mobilisation, demand generation, financing options,

and appropriate toilet design.

through its dedicated work on water and sanitation in

Tamil Nadu for over a decade. They supported CPs by

monitoring and submitting evidence of their work, thus

streamlining the delivery of incentives from the

government.

Key Messages

positive behaviour and identify principles of

behavioural change.

Final Mile conducted research on toilet usage in 17

villages in Davangere and 14 villages in Gulbarga

where open defecation was the social norm. It found

that boredom, isolation and negative feelings were

associated with using toilets, whereas morning walks

to the fields were seen as opportunities to socialize.

For those who had never used a toilet, there was

anxiety about learning to defecate in closed spaces.

There were also

apprehensions about cleaning

the pit, so toilets were only

used in emergencies to avoid

the pit filling up.

Process

l Activate new social norms

around toilet usage

In order to influence behaviour

around toilet usage, Final Mile

designed behavioural nudges

to:

Adding Utility and Convenience


Figure 8: Gandhigram Trust Toilet Use Status in Schools

9.62%

29



l Manage anxiety and uncertainties around usage

The approach was to introduce new social customs

around toilet usage through games, which sought to

remove negative associations and generate curiosity

amongst community members. Games were designed

to add functionality and personalise toilets with

shelves, mirrors, taps and reading material, understand

the pit filling process and the time it takes, and

demonstrate the right way of using a toilet. By getting

people to invest in the asset with tiles, drums to hold

water, painting of the exteriors and improving the

overall experience, a commitment was built around

toilet use. Information on emptying a filled pit and a

helpline number for this was made public.

The Government of Karnataka's Rural Development

and Panchayati Raj (RDPR) department, under the

Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA), partnered with Arghyam

to develop a communication strategy to generate

Based on the research, a games truck was set up to

organise public events,

conduct games and

disseminate information.

The truck also carried

products to personalise and

improve toilets, which

people could purchase or place an order for. IEC was

provided on hygiene and sanitation in schools through

empirical learning. Videos, role plays, 'toilet breaks'

and stickers aided in imprinting messages on good

sanitation. School children understood how a fly

moving from faecal matter to food posed a health risk,

and they taught this to their families. They conducted

simple surveys of 5-10 adults every alternate week for

four weeks, effectively acting as conduits to

communicate norms on toilet usage and generate

conversations around the subject.

l Build commitment towards usage

l Add utility and convenience to existing toilets to

make them easier and more comfortable to use

Impact

demand for toilets and promote their use. The CEO of

Davangere district was committed to the sanitation

initiative, which made Davangere the ideal base to

develop a scalable campaign model for North

Karnataka. The research-based communication

experiment was supported at all levels of

administration.

Government inability to get professional

communication expertise and effectively use the

allocations for the IEC component puts the ODF

campaign at risk of being derailed. Mitigating this risk

would require the government to hire professional

Final Mile's formative research identified critical areas

to influence behaviour, namely activating new social

norms, personalising toilets, managing anxiety and

building commitment to use. While the approach of

gamifying interventions was a new idea, the games

were not engaging enough, and there were logistical

complexities in the delivery of the pilot in five villages.

However, their findings in areas to influence behaviour

hold good and can be built upon to design future

interventions and communication strategies. The pilot

also got the government to acknowledge the need for

communication efforts designed specifically around

toilet usage.

Risks and Enablers

Convincing People to Overcome Barriers

Games Truck


30


Appropriate behavioural and communication

strategies are needed to ensure toilet usage and

CPs bear the onus for generating demand for toilets,

and thus constitute the backbone of SBM at the

community level. Additional human resource

investment is needed to fulfil the essential functions

of training, supporting and motivating CPs and

ensuring they get paid their dues. The BJUP

experience has shown that this additional support

costs less than INR 100 per toilet. This investment

would streamline CPs' role within SBM. Providing

them with targeted IEC materials can help CPs

become even more effective.

Reasons for the lack of toilet use vary from poor

construction to social, traditional, cultural and

personal preferences. The biggest hurdle in attaining

ODF villages is convincing people to overcome these

barriers. Targeted, well-researched and locally relevant

messages aligned to the profile of end users can help

create behavioural nudges for toilet use. Thus,

government guidelines on effective utilisation of the

IEC component through the use of professional

communication expertise would facilitate long-term

behavioural change.

expertise to create a BCC strategy, with messages that

are locally relevant and based on research. While this

is expensive, the underutilized IEC component of SBM

has adequate resources to engage this expertise.

Way Forward

Institutional commitment was enabled by a high-level

agreement with the government, recognising that

usage of toilets was just as important as construction.

However, this agreement would have to be

complemented by the commitment of district officials

to implement a widespread, professionally-designed

IEC campaign.

Key Messages

26 Through the Looking Glass – The Process of Behaviour Change Communication for

NBA in Davangere, Karnataka, Arghyam, p 7827

http://sbkosh.gov.in/SWK_Operational_Guidelines2014.pdf

maintenance. The IEC component of SBM is meant for

relevant messaging in alignment with local

requirements and can employ professional

communication expertise to create the requisite

behavioural nudges towards toilet usage.

Towards the objective of achieving a Clean India or

Swachh Bharat by 2019, the government set up the 27Swachh Bharat Kosh to attract donations from the

corporate sector. These funds can be used to address

gaps in the SBM programme, namely for the

renovation and repair of defunct toilets and to ensure

water supply, both of which will contribute to future

functionality and use. BJUP, with support from

Arghyam, repaired defunct toilets in Bihar by making

sure households contributed actively. This proved to

be a cost-effective method of increasing sanitation

coverage and ownership, thereby positively impacting

toilet use.


Chapter 5

31

28 http://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/budget-2018-swachh-bharat-mission-funds-cut-down-5959629

http://swachhbharatmission.gov.in/SBMCMS/faq.htm30

https://in.reuters.com/article/india-rbi-guidelines-idINKBN0LY1ED20150302

Context

Financing Options for Improved Access to Sanitation

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) allocated an annual budget of INR

17,843 crores in 2018, of which INR 15,343 crores was set aside to

accomplish the goal of making rural India open defecation free 28 (ODF). (GPs) are apportioned budgets ranging from INR 7 Gram Panchayats

lakhs to INR 15 lakhs to reduce environmental contamination, take care of

proper disposal of garbage, and ensure that effective drainage and water

systems exist. At the household level, the government provides an incentive

of INR 12,000 towards constructing a toilet, shared between centre and 29state in a 60:40 ratio. SBM requires households to spend their own funds

before reimbursing costs. Since poorer households often cannot afford this,

they need financial options to tide them over. This would imply the need for

credit, particularly affordable sanitation loans. Incentives alone are not

enough, and financial inclusion, in the form of loans and gap-financing, can

increase the uptake of SBM facilities. While banks have provided the poor

with affordable credit, their portfolios tend to exclude sanitation loans. In

2015, the Reserve Bank of India revised guidelines for lending to priority 30sectors, including sanitation. However, this has not gained much traction

on the ground. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) provide better-off

populations access to financial services, and have only recently begun to

recognize the potential market for water and sanitation loans.

Arghyam decided to support innovations that created targeted financial

mechanisms for different populations, which for the poor would

simultaneously focus on incentives being released. Gandhigram Trust and

Gramalaya were supported to promote financial inclusion in order to

increase the uptake of SBM entitlements. These civil society organisations

(CSOs) created tailored financial strategies for specific populations, namely,

interest-free revolving funds (RFs) for extremely marginalised populations

and microfinance for populations who could afford these loans.

Revolving Fund Loans for Sanitation

Arghyam contributed INR 15 lakhs to Gandhigram in 2014 to provide

interest-free loans through a revolving fund for households unable to afford

upfront funds for construction of toilets.


32

Chapter 5Financing Options for Improved Access

to Sanitation

Preparation of bills and incentive release: On completion

of construction of the toilet, the concerned CPs, with

the assistance of WCFs, prepared and submitted the

necessary documents to the block office through

panchayat secretaries for release of government

incentives. The deputy zonal BDO, overseer and Block

Coordinator verified and approved the documents,

after which the BDO released the incentive amount to

the household.

Block-level assistance to contractors for Individual

Household Latrine (IHHL) construction: Based on inputs

from Block Development Officers (BDOs) and

overseers, contractors were provided financial

assistance of up to INR 2 lakhs. Materials such as

cement bags and steel doors were provided to

contractors and costs deducted when incentives were

released to households.

Women Cluster Facilitators (WCFs) of Gandhigram

identified households that needed financing and were

eligible for loans. In order to qualify, the beneficiary

had to be a member of a self-help group (SHG) with a

survey identity number, provided by the SBM block

coordinator. Preference was given to Below Poverty

Line (BPL) applicants, destitute women, widows and

persons with disability.

Process

The WCF collected the requisition letter from the

panchayat president and submitted it to the project

manager of Gandhigram, along with the final list of

beneficiaries. A Block Level Committee was formed

with representation from Gandhigram and the block-

level administration to monitor and evaluate SBM work

and the disbursement of loans. The block

administration forwarded the beneficiary list to

Gandhigram for release of funds to SHGs within two to

three days. After the release of the loan, amounting to

INR 6,000 (later increased to INR 7,000), SHGs handed

the money over to Community Persons (CPs) and the

Panchayat Secretary to purchase materials for

Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs).

Revolving fund repayment: SBM block coordinators

provided information on incentive amounts released to

the anchayat ecretary, CPs and WCFs, who followed P S

up with beneficiaries to collect revolving fund dues

within three months. This process was carried out with

the help of SHGs.


A block-level committee was formed with

representation from Gandhigram and the government

block administration to monitor and implement

sanitation work, as well as facilitate revolving funds

and the release of incentives. It comprised the

panchayat president, SHG village committee leader,

block coordinator, technical officer and a liaison

officer from Gandhigram, who was also the convener.

The block committee identified households most in

need of a loan and released funds. After construction,

they coordinated with GPs to release SBM incentives

directly to the household. Finally, the household repaid

the revolving fund through their SHGs.

The role played by the block-level committee in

coordinating the release of revolving loans and SBM

incentives improved efficiency. SHGs were

instrumental in operating the revolving fund because

they were familiar with credit and repayment

processes. The joint identification of beneficiary

households by the government and Gandhigram

created a more inclusive mechanism. The participation

Beneficiary Names Painted On a Wall


33


to Sanitation

of all stakeholders ensured transparency in SBM

procedures and processing without delay.

Impact

Through financing mechanisms implemented by

Gandhigram, access to toilets, particularly for the poor,

increased dramatically. From 2014-18, Gandhigram

rotated the revolving fund amount of INR 15 lakhs

nearly five times, thereby benefiting 1,163 households.

This amounted to an average of approximately INR

6,450 per household. By 2018, INR 15 lakhs had been

returned to Arghyam. According to an evaluation done

by Gandhigram, 35% of households spent their own

money to build toilets. Household contributions in the

form of digging of pits and other labour, transportation

and in-kind materials were estimated at around INR

4.944 crores, six times the loan provided. This was a

clear indication of acceptance and ownership of the

asset. Revolving funds proved catalytic for the

inclusive implementation of SBM. Mechanisms of

affordable finance, transparency and accountability

built the community's confidence in SBM (Box 11).

Gandhigram's intervention was financially sustainable

because they ensured that each household

contributed either in cash or kind towards IHHL costs,

thus building ownership. The interest-free revolving

fund made it possible for people to build high-quality

toilets, customised to their needs. The system

Key Messages

recorded a high repayment rate, a direct outcome of

good book-keeping practices and multi-stakeholder

collaboration across government, CSOs and the

community.

A community does not always have the capacity to

operate a revolving fund. The interest-free revolving

fund mechanism can work effectively only if there are

existing and functional SHGs who can manage this

fund. Gandhigram built the capacities of communities

by forming SHGs who could efficiently handle the loan

management process.

A major drawback of servicing the poorest of the poor,

despite their need for sanitation facilities and

willingness to avail them, is the paucity of upfront

funds and lack of financing mechanisms. For better

outreach and inclusion of marginalised populations to

SBM entitlements, CSOs and Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) programmes can innovate or

implement gap financing mechanisms that are

relevant to different populations. Banks too can

Risks and Enablers

Households are more likely to prioritise the repayment

of high-interest loans over interest-free revolving fund

loans. The block-level committee mechanism of

Gandhigram assisted and monitored the recovery of

these funds.

Box 11: Increased Access through the

Revolving Fund

A representative and the WCF from panchayat

Gandhigram motivated them to build a toilet by

giving them an interest-free revolving fund loan of

Panchavarna resides with her husband and two

children in Pithalapatti village of Athoor block in

Dindigul. Her husband is a driver and she is a

Thooimai Kavalar, a sanitation worker. The family

could not afford to build a toilet and used to

defecate about 500 metres outside the house.

INR 7,000. Panchavarna applied through her SHG,

was approved, and received the loan within three

days. Once the government incentive was received,

she repaid the loan in six months. She contributed

to lowering costs by providing labour to dig the pit

and carry sand, stones and cement to the site. She

helped the mason and provided tea and snacks.

Panchavarna declared , “Earlier, when we went out for

defecation, it would be embarrassing and awkward

when a brother or uncle or someone else would come

by. Now it is safe and good.”

Source: Field visit to Gandhigram Trust, June 2018


34


to Sanitation

Dialogues with the community surfaced

the need and willingness to pay for

sanitation loans, partly because of the

Process

provide interest-free loans or lend at affordable

interest rates, as recovery is low risk. Alternatively,

CSR programmes can support CSOs to implement

models similar to Arghyam's interest-free revolving

fund for gap financing.

In Tamil Nadu, Gramalaya, along with their subsidiary

MFI, Gramalaya Urban and Rural Development

Initiatives and Network (Guardian), pioneered a

microcredit model for water, sanitation and hygiene

facilities. These loans, though not best

suited for the poorest of the poor,

allowed for better quality and

customisation for better-off

households, thus promoting higher

levels of comfort and use. The finance

mechanism for water, sanitation and

hygiene facilities generated funds

through two main sources, namely,

Guardian and household contributions.

The average expenditure per household

ranged from INR 20,000 to INR 30,000,

of which the Guardian loan could be as

high as INR 20,000, with the rest

coming from the household. The SBM

incentive of INR 12,000 served as a

reimbursement after the toilet was

constructed.

Collaboration can build accountability and

responsibility on the part of households to repay loans

and the government to process SBM incentives.

Institutional arrangements like the block committee

allowed the timely release of incentives, thus

facilitating revolving fund repayment.

Microfinance Sanitation Loans for

Households

Figure 9: Criteria for WATSAN Loans

Preferably married

If not married,

women must be

35 years

or older

Be a

member of

Joint Liability

Group

Have own house

Loan should be

used for intended

purpose only

WATSAN

structures to be

completed within

2 months

If not,

should

repay full

amount

with interest

thereon

Must be between

18 to 55 years

drudgery of walking long distances to collect water

and defecate in the open. Gramalaya and Guardian

closed this gap by educating people on the risk of

contracting diseases through open defecation and

preventive measures that could be followed through

improved water, sanitation and hygiene practices.

They shared information on loans for building toilets

and provided know-how on sanitation hardware, so

that people could attend to minor repairs themselves.

Figure 9 illustrates the set of criteria used to identify

households eligible for Water and Sanitation

(WATSAN) loans.

In response to these dialogues, Gramalaya initiated

microfinance lending for water, sanitation and hygiene

facilities. Individuals interested in a loan from

Guardian were mobilised into SHGs or Joint Liability

Groups (JLGs) of five members each, and money was

released to the group. Guardian borrowed money from


nationalised banks and other financial institutions at

interest rates that varied between 12-15%, and then

lent money to the groups at a diminishing rate of 24%.

Taking loans as a group is ideal for low-income

households who cannot access formal financial

services because they have no collateral to offer. Here,

peer pressure guaranteed the repayment of loans.

Because the whole group was impacted, only women

who could repay loans were allowed to become

members, making the mechanics of group borrowing

and lending safe and effective.

Initially, the loan

amount for new

toilets was INR

5,000, which

increased to INR

20,000 due to rising

costs of material

and aspirations for

better designs and

facilities. While

Gramalaya helped the poor access credit, they also

ensured better access to SBM incentives by displaying

the SBM logo on toilets.


Gramalaya and Guardian have partnered for 20 years.

The former mobilised communities and generated

demand, while the latter disbursed loans. Gramalaya

selected three partner NGOs, namely LEAF (Leadership

through Education and Action Foundation) Society,

INDO (Indian Development Organisation) Trust, and

ANNAI (Association for Natural Resource

Management and National Integrated Improvement)

Trust in Namakkal, Perambalur and Pudukottai

districts respectively, to provide credit access to local

communities through Guardian. These NGOs were

instrumental in community mobilisation, creation of

demand, facilitating loan access, providing technical

support for construction and ensuring promotion of

35


to Sanitation

Toilets With Better Amenities

Impact

Jyothi lives with her husband and two children

in Kavalkarapalayam village of Anthaneloor

block in Trichy district. Her husband works as

an agricultural labourer and painter. Previously,

the family used the banks of the Cauvery to

defecate. They learned about the importance of

sanitation and availability of loans for toilet

construction at meetings conducted by

Gramalaya.

Each partner was given a target to identify 2,000

households requiring toilets and 1,000 households

needing water connections. These like-minded local

NGOs and their respective health educators were

trained to motivate communities to construct toilets.

Experience sharing, exposure visits and monthly

reviews with the NGOs and Gramalaya helped track

progress. Guardian mobilised funds from various

sources, including banks, to support the NGOs. JLGs

and SHGs facilitated the lending and recovery of

finance at the community level, thus improving access

to better quality toilets.

Box 12: Creating a Customised and

Well-designed Toilet

sanitation and hygiene in the villages through 31behaviour change activities.

Between April 2012 and January 2015, Gramalaya,

through its three partners, enabled communities to

access loans worth INR 75 lakhs from Guardian. This

credit benefitted 5,700 households, with loans

averaging INR 13,000 (Box 12). Eligible households

were motivated to access credit and invest their own

capital to build customised, visually appealing and

spacious toilets. Since the investment was higher,

toilets were aesthetically pleasing, with attached

bathrooms and additional amenities. Toilets were

tailored to cater to the needs of elderly or disabled

users when required.

31 Project End Evaluation of Alliance for Water and Sanitation Initiative, Tamil Nadu, Alka

Palrecha, People in Centre Consulting, supported by Arghyam


36


to Sanitation

In addition to access, a toilet with better facilities

encourages use. In Gramalaya's areas of intervention,

people were willing to spend between INR 20,000 and

INR 30,000 on a well-designed toilet as a one-time

investment, without cutting corners.

The SBM loan incentive supports construction of a

basic toilet with minimal space and convenience.

There are households who desire to build better-

ventilated, customised toilets fitting their needs. CSOs

and communities lack the capacity and financial

mechanisms to build toilets of high quality and better

designs, which can promote future use. The lack of a

microfinance institutional system, JLGs and SHGs are

impediments to access finance for sanitation.

Pioneering institutions like Guardian, in close

collaboration with local NGOs, are providing

specialised loans for water and sanitation. Thus, a

well-established alliance between finance institutions

and CSOs can overcome the gap between the need for

better quality toilets and the paucity of finance.

Sanitation loans should be designed to be affordable

and simple to access. More public and private

financing mechanisms could be introduced to

motivate access to SBM entitlements, while also

Key Messages

They were identified by Guardian as prospective

loan customers as Jyothi was a SHG member.

Within a month, in 2016, she had received a loan

of INR 14,000, and constructed a toilet with an

attached bathroom, investing INR 18,000 of the

couple's own savings. By the end of 2018, over a

period of 17 months, she had repaid the loan.

Since its construction, the family uses the toilet

regularly. In Jyothi's words, “While there are some

people who still defecate in the open, our toilet is

at home and accessible. For our daughter

especially, and generally as a family, it is safe and

convenient.”

Risks and Enablers

creating better quality toilets that will increase long-

term usage. Households require flexible financing

mechanisms that can help them construct toilets

designed for their specific needs.

For ensuring better toilet quality and design,

microfinance is a viable option for those who can

afford it. MFIs, which have become small-scale lending

agencies, should develop sanitation loan products for

households who desire better-designed toilets. The

popularity of mobile banking has amplified options for

financial inclusion of the poor. There is need for

concerted advocacy with banks and financial

institutions to help them realise the potential of

sanitation loans that are essentially low risk because

of the guarantee of reimbursement of incentives

through SBM. For instance, the LEAF Society forms

SHGs where members deposit a monthly minimum of

INR 100 in the bank for sanitation needs. Through

bank linkages, 10 women's groups got credit support

from NABARD, who provided a loan of INR 15 lakhs at

an interest rate of 12% per annum to construct 150

toilets. Used as a revolving fund, the LEAF Society, in

turn, offered soft loans to build water and sanitation

infrastructure at 12% interest per annum. This sets a 32

precedent for banks to provide sanitation loans to

poor communities.

CSR funds can be effective in leveraging SBM

incentives by using the interest-free revolving fund

mechanism of Gandhigram Trust. This can be

combined with sanitation loans from National Rural

Livelihood Mission (NRLM) to increase sanitation

coverage by building broad-based access to SBM for

poor households.

Way Forward

Revolving funds are an important alternate financing

mechanism available to the poor, thus ensuring equity.

While SBM's release of incentives ensures

transparency, the process of providing loans from

revolving funds to other recipients could be expedited

if incentives were to come directly to SHGs instead.

32 http://www.indiawaterportal.org/sites/indiawaterportal.org/files/best_practices-

_a_case_study_of_leaf_society_0.pdf


l Specifically designed toilets to curb water contamination in high water

table areas (Bhartiya Jan Utthan Parishad in Bihar)

l Toilets for rocky and difficult terrain (SEVA Mandir in Rajasthan)

Community-managed toilets (urban and rural)

l Community toilets and group toilets built in rural areas where households

do not have space near their houses (Gandhigram in Tamil Nadu)

Shallow water toilets

l Integrated sanitary complexes for households located in urban slums or

without space within their houses (Gramalaya in Tamil Nadu)

Ecological Sanitation (Ecosan) Toilets

Poor sanitation coverage and open defecation is an outcome of low supply

or demand or non-use of toilets. Ecosan toilets are a viable solution in areas

with high water tables or rocky terrains. Box 13 describes its components.

l Toilets that conserve water in arid areas (MYRADA in Karnataka)

Toilet Options: Sanitation Solutions for Different Needs

The diversity in India's environment, culture, society and economics

has made the universalisation of sanitation and waste management

coverage, operation and maintenance complex. A standard toilet

design or one-size-fits-all approach does not work. Impediments to building

individual toilets are availability of space, people not owning the house they

live in, and homelessness. Rapidly-growing cities, coping with

unprecedented urbanisation, cannot provide migrant workers with housing,

water and sanitation infrastructure. Appropriate, affordable technologies

relevant to the needs of low-income communities are fundamental for first-

time users. Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) needs to factor in geo-

hydrological and climatic variations, including dry or wet conditions and

rocky or muddy terrains, as well as usage, whether by individuals or

communities.

Arghyam supported the following area-specific designs to address the

social, technical, financial, institutional and environmental concerns of

communities in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Bihar:

Ecological Sanitation (Ecosan) Toilets

Context

Chapter 6

37


38

Chapter 6Toilet Options: Sanitation Solutions

for Different Needs

Similarly, rural communities in the semi-arid districts

Major parts of Kolar district in Karnataka face severe

water shortages. Open defecation is common,

primarily because the scarcity of water makes it

difficult to maintain water-based toilets. The quest for

suitable technological options that could address the

supply, demand and environmental factors pertaining

to sanitation led to the introduction of Ecosan toilets

as a sustainable concept (Figure 10). These toilets

replace water with ash and sawdust that converts

human waste to fertilizer used to improve agricultural

productivity.

Ecosan Toilets for Arid Regions of Rajasthan face extreme water scarcity as the dry,

hilly terrain aids soil erosion, rainwater run-off and low

recharge of groundwater. In addition, maximum

utilization of groundwater results in a very low water

table. In 2012, over 90% of rural households in

Rajsamand and Udaipur districts did not have toilets.

Since conventional toilets requiring higher quantities

of water were not a viable option, SEVA Mandir

promoted the use of Ecosan toilets.

Process

Community Awareness and Mobilisation: Raising

awareness about available options and usage changes

Box 13: Ecosan Toilet Design

Ecological Sanitation is a sustainable, closed-loop

system. This dry compost toilet sanitises human

excreta to produce useful manure, while

simultaneously preventing groundwater

contamination. Its components include the

separation of faeces (solid excreta which can

contaminate and cause disease) from urine (liquid

waste with high plant nutrient content), and from

water used for washing; channelling urine diluted with

water used for washing to fertilise adjacent gardens

or fields; and the conversion of faeces to compost in

dry, sealed storage

The Ecosan toilet is a two-part structure. The lower

part is a large chamber, partitioned by a dividing wall

into two compartments, each sealed by a stone slab

in the rear that can be opened when necessary. Its

concrete flooring ensures that the stored faeces does

not come in contact with soil or groundwater. There

are two openings, one above each compartment. The

drop hole for defecation has two footrests for

squatting. Each compartment has three pits built into

it – one each for urine, faeces and wash water. The

floor in front of the drop hole slopes away gently, so

that urine flows through a separate pipe that takes it

outside to a collection chamber. Ash, kept in a built-in

wall tray or a small bucket, is scattered on faeces

after defecation. At the rear of the toilet is a distinct

wash area, where wash water is led away separately.

This helps keep the collection pit dry.

Only one of the two squat holes is used at a time,

while the other is kept sealed. When the first chamber

is filled, the hole is sealed with a lid and the other is

used. The size of the lower chambers is designed to

allow continuous usage of each for nine months or

more. During this period, the faeces in the sealed

compartment becomes clean, odourless compost,

which can be removed through the slab in the rear.

Source: Changing Lives, Ecosan takes root in rural Tamil Nadu,

UNICEF, Chennai, 2007

Ecosan Toilet


39


for Different Needs

SEVA Mandir used visuals during village meetings and

trainings to increase awareness and demonstrate the

difference between Ecosan and regular toilets. Being

an entirely new concept for both community members

communities' attitudes and perceptions, helping them

own the decision to use toilets. MYRADA conducted

Gram Sabhas, exposure visits and awareness sessions

on the ill effects of open defecation, while

demonstrating the advantages of Ecosan technology

to the community. Both SEVA Mandir and MYRADA

made home visits over several weeks, carrying out

training and demonstrations to convince people and

address concerns. Exposure visits to fully-functional

Ecosan facilities helped resolve villagers' disquiets.

Identifying barriers and building capacities of

community-based organisations (CBOs) to address

them helped accelerate adoption. Training on why saw

dust and ash are needed to replace water, how

moisture allows mosquitoes and bugs to breed, and

how the pit converts waste to manure encouraged

proper practice and usage.

and SEVA Mandir staff, exposure visits for field teams

and Gram Vikas Committee (GVC) members from each

village to Ecosan toilets in Bhavnagar, Gujarat helped

them understand the benefits and functioning of these

toilets.

SEVA Mandir engineers organized a workshop

showcasing six Ecosan designs, five with double

chambers and one with a single chamber for families

Participatory planning and designing: Engaging with

community stakeholders is critical for the effective

implementation, improved management and

sustainability of sanitation interventions. MYRADA

formed CBOs and trained them on water, sanitation

and hygiene related issues. They organized

participatory exercises like social water resource

mapping and water budgeting to identify houses

without toilets and spaces where open defecation was

taking place. These exercises pinpointed suitable sites

for Ecosan toilets, roof-top rain water harvesting,

community soak pits, overhead tanks, water

distribution and drainage lines.

Figure 10: Advantages of Ecosan Toilets


40


for Different Needs

SEVA Mandir used visual tools and posters with

instructions on the correct way to use toilets and

harvest waste. A major operational task of Ecosan

toilets was to manage the urine collected in drums and

the manure in the chambers. The urine drum filled up

in about 2-3 months depending on family size, drum

capacity and intensity of use. It was stored for about a

month, away from human contact, in order to eliminate

pathogens or contamination, after which it was ready

to be used as fertilizer. The chambers holding

decomposed faeces were opened in front of village

Technical capacity building: MYRADA trained masons

on the construction of Ecosan toilets. They taught

community members about design, benefits, usage

and maintenance, and demonstrated the harvesting of

decomposed manure.

with space constraints. Communities expressed a

marked preference for the double chamber option

where the drum filled with excreta did not have to be

handled immediately, unlike the single storage design.

Women used demonstration units and gave their

feedback so that designs could be tailored for them

and for their children.

SEVA Mandir conducted a workshop for households

and youth on Ecosan technology, design options,

costing and use of local materials. Engineers held

dialogues with prospective users to understand their

needs and remodel designs accordingly. They also

sent masons on exposure visits to understand Ecosan

construction.

Participatory implementation and management: Village

Water Management Committees (VWMCs) were

responsible for implementation, supervision,

maintenance of quality and payment collection from

end users. Self-help Affinity Groups (SAGs) ensured

timely contributions from families by sanctioning

interest-free loans. MYRADA helped village

communities develop norms for community

management, maintenance systems, allocation of

responsibilities and contributions.

Monitoring and maintenance: Though Ecosan toilets do

not have plumbing and daily maintenance costs are

nil, both organisations established community norms

for sustainable use and behavioural change.

SEVA Mandir promoted Ecosan toilets through elected

and gender balanced Committees (GVCs), Gram Vikas

who managed and monitored progress in each village.

By using the village development fund, Gram Panchayat

SEVA Mandir facilitated construction in villages where

people were receptive to new ideas. They worked

communities to demonstrate the process of handling

manure. Families were hand-held to overcome myths

and prejudices that could act as potential barriers.

Thus, most people did not show any resistance

towards handling the collected manure or using it in

their vegetable gardens and fields.


Building partnerships and advocacy: MYRADA

leveraged resources from different government

programmes. In Kamasamudram (HD Kote), the

panchayat funded toilet construction, MGNREGA

financed drainage construction (in Kongrahalli village),

and funds were used for construction Zilla Parishad

and public water supply.

While Ecosan toilets are an important social

innovation, their cost is high compared to

conventional toilets. Operation and maintenance also

requires trained users. MYRADA strengthened existing

village institutions like SAGs, Watershed Development

Associations and VWMCs to build ownership and

sustainability. These committees comprised Gram

Panchayat, school betterment committee and SAG

members from each village. Exposure visits and

discussions with community elders helped in the

adoption of Ecosan. VWMCs were responsible for

ensuring quality, implementation of activities, overall

supervision, and financial processes including

collection of contributions from end users. VWMCs

were also linked to suppliers, as Ecosan materials

were difficult to source.


closely with women's SHGs, GVCs, day care and youth

resource centres to facilitate and enforce the use of

Ecosan toilets.

Impact

Financial arrangements: , In Karnataka each toilet cost a

total of INR 11,000, of which Arghyam provided INR

8,150, the beneficiary contributed INR 1,650 and the

Gram Panchayat (GP) paid INR 1,200, reimbursed by the

Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA). SHGs played a vital role

in ensuring timely contributions from families by

sanctioning interest-free loans. In Rajasthan, each

toilet cost INR 17,500 during the demonstration phase.

This increased to INR 22,600 during the

implementation phase, as materials had to be sourced

from outside the state and labour costs were high. On

an average, Arghyam contributed INR 13,000-15,000

per toilet, while individual households contributed INR

4,500-7,500 in the form of labour and materials. The

government reimbursed INR 4,600 per toilet through

NBA and INR 3,636 for labour through MGNREGA.

Increased access to sanitation facilities: MYRADA

constructed a total of 294 Ecosan toilets and 146

regular toilets as part of the Integrated Domestic

Water Management (IDWM) project in 2006. SEVA

Mandir built a total of 241 Ecosan toilets, of which 215

were constructed in 11 villages, along with 2

demonstration toilets in each new village.

Sanitation behaviour change: SEVA Mandir's post-

construction assessment found that about 90% of

randomly surveyed households had started using their

toilets. They conducted follow-up training on correct

usage for the remaining 10% and monitored them

closely till usage became regular. MYRADA's survey

showed that 84% of Ecosan toilets were in use, and

that 92% of the three year old Ecosan toilets were still

functioning.

Better implementation of government schemes: SEVA

Mandir later became a Programme Implementing

Agency (PIA) for the government, and was responsible

41


for Different Needs

Lack of technical know-how among masons: The lack of

relevant skills among masons posed a challenge to

construction. SEVA Mandir and MYRADA trained

masons to ensure quality construction of Ecosan

toilets.

Lack of availability of Ecosan hardware: Ecosan toilet

pans are not easily obtainable, posing a risk to

procurement and costs. SEVA Mandir linked

households in Udaipur to suppliers in Gujarat to

procure hardware. To overcome this, innovative low-

cost technology that promotes the use of locally-

available materials and hardware should be

encouraged.

Operation and maintenance: Despite the positive

response towards Ecosan toilets, a major challenge

remains its continued usage and sustainability.

Risks and Enablers

Higher cost of construction: Designs based on need

and better quality of construction run the risk of

escalating costs, which can be ameliorated through

community contributions and leveraging government

resources. Similarly, it is important to manage

finances through innovative, cost-effective designs

and credit linkages.

for the construction of another 121 Ecosan toilets in

11 villages of Udaipur district.

Inadequate community participation and ownership:

Building sanitation infrastructure does not guarantee

usage. The challenge, given people's reservations, is to

change behaviour towards adoption of Ecosan toilets.

Both MYRADA and SEVA Mandir used strong CBOs to

bring about behavioural change, without which the

acceptance of Ecosan toilets remains a risk. Similarly,

both organisations 'had a long-term engagement with

their programme areas prior to introducing their

sanitation initiatives [a significant enabler of behavioural 33 change].' Despite the established relationship with the

community, another three to six years were needed to

ensure sustainability.

33 Step by Step Sustainable Sanitation, Arghyam report, June 2010, page 8


42


for Different Needs

Capacity building and establishment of community

norms enables better monitoring and maintenance

with higher usage.

Key Messages

l As SBM guidelines allow building of Ecosan toilets,

their promotion is essential in low water table

terrains

l Construction is conditional on the availability of

Ecosan infrastructure, e.g. toilet pans

l Being expensive, Ecosan toilets need additional

funds under SBM or external financing from CSR or

other donors

l Communities need to buy into the concept to ensure

use. Hence, Ecosan initiatives need to factor in

media or exposure visits to showcase the

advantages of these toilets

Integrated Sanitation Complexes by

Gramalaya

In 1970, the Tiruchirappalli City Corporation (TCC) built

community toilets which fell into disrepair due to poor

attention to their design, lighting and access to water.

Over time, these ruined and abandoned structures

became spaces around which locals defecated,

resulting in frequent outbreaks of diarrhoea, dysentery

and other water-borne diseases.

People in the area needed a paradigm shift to change

'community toilets' to 'Community Managed Toilets'

(CMTs). Gramalaya, working in the area of sanitation

for over a decade, played a pioneering role in creating

a sustainable and replicable model of CMTs by

Community toilets, also called Integrated Sanitation

Complexes (ISCs), have emerged as a viable

alternative for the homeless, migrants and urban

households grappling with space or resource

constraints for IHHLs. A well designed and managed

community toilet creates a safe, private and hygienic

environment, especially for women, who are usually

most affected by the lack of toilets.

transforming the operations and management of ISCs

in partnership with the TCC.

Process

Box 14: Role of CBOs in CMTs

Strengthening CBOs (Box 14): Gramalaya trained slum-

dwelling women to act as hygiene educators and local-

level animators. These women conducted a baseline

survey and focus group discussions to understand

community needs and existing conditions, e.g.

location of toilets, open defecation practices and

needs of slum dwellers. Two members from each SHG

were nominated as Sanitation and Hygiene Education

(SHE) team leaders. Currently, SHE teams are

responsible for planning and monitoring all aspects of

sanitation and creating awareness on the benefits of

good water, sanitation and hygiene practices. City-

level SHE team leaders form a federation known as

Women's Action for Village Empowerment (WAVE).

SHE teams are guided by the WAVE federation to

maintain community toilets in a transparent and

efficient manner (Figure 11).

Multiple SHG and SHE teams come together to

manage CMTs. They are in charge of:

l Operating the toilets and collecting user fees

l Daily maintainence of toilets: cleaning, buying

supplies and minor repair work

l Maintaining accounts and using savings to

proactively carry out repairs and improvements

to CMTs

In 2001, the Tamil Nadu Government launched its

Slum Improvement Programme, and invited Gramalaya

to manage 200 of the 430 sanitary complexes in

Tiruchirappalli. TCC designed and constructed these

community toilets close to the slums where end-users

resided.

l Setting up Association for Water, Sanitation

and Hygiene (AWASH) committees to mobilise

users of CMTs and liaison with the municipality


43


for Different Needs

Maintenance: The toilet complex is maintained on a

shift basis and every user is issued a token allowing ,

usage on payment of a fee. The money collected is

deposited in the SHE team account of a nationalized

bank every week. At monthly meetings, SHE leaders

together with their SHGs go over the income and

expenditure for a particular community toilet.

Expenses include salaries and purchase of cleaning

materials such as bleaching powder, soap and phenyl.

The remaining amount is saved every month in a

common fund for that specific slum and used for

health and sanitation related activities, including

extension of street taps, construction of domestic

drains, garbage bins and provision of street lights.

Figure 12 provides an overview of CMT toilet features.

Liaison with Government: Separate AWASH committees

comprising both men and women were formed to

ensure the participation of men. These committees

were responsible for liaison with the TCC to improve

services in slums. Support mechanisms were set up

such that these sanitary complexes were able to

operate independently and sustainably, even after

Gramalaya's exit.

Figure 11: Community Management Structure

of CMTs

Source: Community Managed Toilets: Understanding Stakeholder Roles and

Responsibilities, Amrtha Kasturi Rangan, Arghyam, February, 2010

Figure 12: Community Managed Toilet (CMT) Features

Ÿ CMTs connected to underground drainage or septic tanks Ÿ Water tub

Ÿ Stone-paved washing facilities

Ÿ Separate blocks for men and women

Ÿ Separate areas for bathing

Ÿ Child-friendly toilet

Design

Ÿ One western closet for the benefit of the aged/disabled usersŸ Baby-friendly toilet

Ÿ NGOs work together in different areas

MaintenanceŸ 1 social worker and 1 Hygiene Educator per slum, to create

awareness and coordinate work of different groups

Ÿ Maintenance costs include: person at counter, cleaner, supplies, small repair work, electricity bill where applicable

Ÿ Major repairs by TCC

- Annual maintenance of INR 50 crore

Ÿ AWASH committeesŸ Panchayat general fund support

Ÿ Liaison with municipality

- 75% state, 25% municipality contribution

Government Support

Ÿ Financial support including: - Construction costs (typically INR 7-8 lakhs)

Ÿ Charge for bathing is INR 4 per use

Ÿ Fee per use of toilet is INR 1 Ÿ Some slums have a monthly card costing INR 30 per family

Ÿ Charge for bathing and washing clothes is INR 5 Ÿ Children below 13 years, the elderly and disabled users not

charged Ÿ Some CMTs allow free use for destitute women

User Fee

Source: Arghyam, February, 2010


44


for Different Needs

Gramalaya set up a City Sanitation Task Force (CSTF)

to ensure direct communication between all

stakeholders. The Commissioner of the TCC, on behalf

of the Mayor, chairs the CSTF which comprises the

health officer, representatives from the Water Board

and Education Department, AWASH Committee and

WAVE federation members, community officers,

representatives from Gramalaya and other NGOs, and

media persons. TCC is responsible for the

maintenance of septic tanks and underground

drainage connections, replacement of pipes, doors and

flooring, repair of motors, digging of borewells, and

whitewashing. AWASH committees and SHE teams

play a pivotal role in ensuring access to sanitation in

the slums. They help to:

l Create awareness on sanitation and build demand

for usage of toilets

l Maintain infrastructure and accounts of CMTs in a

transparent manner

l Liaise with the corporation to ensure repair and

renovation of CMTs and improvement of services

l Impart education on hygiene practices

l Identify workforce and undertake minor repairs and

maintenance

SHE teams manage the toilets by employing a pay-

and-use system with support from TCC and

Gramalaya, while WAVE oversees these processes.

Impact

Improved health and hygiene: In Tiruchirappalli,

Gramalaya promoted 1,500 SHGs to maintain over 200

toilet complexes for community use. Women users

testified that access to ISCs improved their health and

the neighbourhood environment (Box 15).


l Work on issues beyond sanitation such as water

quality and solid waste management to create a

hygienic environment

Box 15: Better Hygiene

“I have been living in the neighbourhood near

the toilet complex. Ever since I was a child, I

have seen how dirty the locality was, with

people defecating everywhere and waste lying

around. Gramalaya tried to meet people and

change their attitudes. After regular visits, some

people, notably the WAVE federation secretary,

decided to support the initiative and help in

outreach. Mr Damodaran of Gramalaya changed

the slum's environment by explaining why we

should use toilets. He renovated the complex

and asked us to stop going out and use it

instead. We constructed a toilet in our house a

year ago, but I continue to use the toilet

complex as it is clean and I like coming here. As

there is a watchman, it is safe, convenient and

accessible at all times. Now we have also

started using soap to wash our hands.”

Interview with Bhanupriya, SHG and SHE team member and user

of the Urban Sanitary Complex, WAVE federation office,

Tiruchirappalli, July 2018

Increase in income: People are willing to pay to use

CMTs as they are clean and well-maintained. ISCs in

Tiruchirappalli generate employment and income

opportunities for SHG members (Box 16). In many

slums where CMTs are used successfully, women's

groups save money. These groups have taken on the

responsibility of solid waste management from the

TCC has constructed a biogas plant and a community

kitchen within the premises of the toilet complex at

Viragupettai slum. The plant uses wet and faecal

waste to generate biogas, which women residents use

for cooking in the community kitchen.

On achieving the first ODF slums through partnership

between Gramalaya, TCC and the community,

Tiruchirappalli became one of the cleanest cities in

India. This effort reduced the outbreak of diseases and

illnesses.


45


for Different Needs

Maintenance: Women's groups face maintenance

difficulties when borewells are dry or water scarcity

disrupts operations. The city councillor tried to take

over toilets which generate a high income and

attempted to extract money from SHE workers.

l Major repairs would require the commitment of the

local municipality

l Maintenance of an ISC is best done by CBOs

managing them through funds generated from user

fees. SHGs federated at a city level can play a major

role in ensuring the functioning of these complexes

Key Messages

TCC and appointed a waste collector, paid from

revenues generated from CMTs. The TCC supports

these initiatives by providing pushcarts and waste

containers for solid waste collection. A good example

of other earning opportunities is where employees who

collect user charges sell soap and other hygiene

products in the ISC.

Delays in funds sanctioned by TCC for major repairs: The

relationship between WAVE and TCC has steadily

improved since 2001. The WAVE federation's

transparent management of ISCs established their

credibility, ensuring a quick response time by the TCC

on maintenance requests by WAVE members.

Risks and Enablers

“I clean two toilet complexes, one within the

WAVE federation office and the other near the

bus stand (complex for men and women) twice

a day, at 10 am and at 3 pm. I earn around INR

10,000 a month from both complexes. WAVE

provides materials for cleaning and safety

gloves. I am happy doing this job with the

support of SHE teams and WAVE federation

members. I live with my wife and three children,

and we even have our own toilet at home.”

Lack of community participation in CMTs: With its

strong credibility within the community and the TCC,

Gramalaya overcame this risk by involving SHGs.

Using their expertise in sanitation and microfinance,

Gramalaya mobilised women into thrift and credit

groups, built capacities and then handed over

maintenance to CBOs. By federating at city level, the

CBOs then engaged and built a rapport with the TCC.

Interview with Ravichandran, toilet complex cleaner, WAVE

office, Tiruchirappalli, July 2018

Box 16: Income from Toilets

Better implementation of government schemes:

Collaboration with government ensured better

implementation and improved access to public

programmes and resources.

Integrated Sanitary Complexes (ISCs)

and Group Toilets in Gandhigram

In rural Tamil Nadu, 115 ISCs were built for both men

and women in five blocks of Dindigul panchayat

district. However, communities could not use these

facilities due to lack of water, poor upkeep and people

having to walk long distances. Gandhigram promoted

the repair and maintenance of these ISCs to ensure

better functionality and usage. Along with sanitary

complexes, Gandhigram also promoted group toilets

to increase the rural population's access to sanitation

(Box 17). As part of this initiative, 26 group toilets have

been built.

Balamani, a 36-

year old wage

labourer, is a

group toilet

user in

Pithalaipatti

panchayat. She

has studied up to the fifth standard, and her two

Box 17: Group Toilets: An Alternative

Sanitation

Solution

Balamani, User of the Pithalaipati Group Toilet


46


for Different Needs

Process

Capacity building of

stakeholders: Gandhigram,

with support from BDOs

and Block Coordinators, built capacities of CPs, Village

Poverty Reduction Committee (VPRC) functionaries

and staff to develop a cadre of Community panchayat

Interview with group toilet user Balamani, Pithalaipatti

panchayat, Athoor block, July 2018

Community mobilisation and sensitisation: Community

awareness was raised in Dindigul through meetings,

exposure visits, rallies and cultural events.

Gandhigram identified households who had not

constructed toilets due to a lack of space, and

motivated them to use toilets in existing ISCs.

children are pursuing higher secondary

education. Gandhigram explained that two

community toilets consisting of 10 units each

were constructed in Athoor block, with facilities

such as electricity and taps with piped water.

The toilet owners' names were displayed on the

walls of the complex and a lock and key was

provided to each owner. As the toilet was

located close to their house, Balamani and her

children started using the facility. Appreciating

the initiative, Balamani said, “We are really happy

and sincerely grateful to the Block Development

Officer of Athoor for the toilets and to Gandhigram

Trust for training us on their use and maintenance.

Earlier, we had to defecate in the open, around a

kilometre away. This caused difficulties, especially

for adolescent girls. Women now have more time

to do other work and it has become easier for

children to attend school on time.”

Formation and strengthening of community-level

institutions: User groups

were formed and trained by

Gandhigram to ensure

regular usage and

maintenance of these ISCs.

Technical Resource Groups (CTRGs) to address water,

sanitation and hygiene issues.


Maintenance: Families were provided with their own

keys to group toilets and were responsible for their

maintenance.

Renovation of sanitary complexes: Gandhigram

facilitated the renovation of sanitary complexes

through the Village Panchayat General Fund, which

was used to install water and electricity supply and to

finance the maintenance and cleaning of septic tanks

and minor repairs. This improved usage of sanitary

complexes.

Monitoring and establishment of community norms for

sustainable use: Block-level review meetings were held

with PRIs and CPs to review and initiate steps to

address bottlenecks in usage or maintenance of ISCs.

The community also developed norms for sustainable

usage.

The VPRC, and District Rural Development panchayat

Agency (DRDA) were the three main stakeholders in

the process. While the VPRC was responsible for

developing the ODF plan for the village and conducting

mass awareness programmes, the provided panchayat

support at all levels. It supplied water to the ISCs and

helped in their smooth running through SHGs. The

DRDA conducted block-level meetings to monitor use

of the ISC for women and trained PRIs, motivators,

VPRCs, CPs and , community Thooimai Kavalars

members in charge of waste collection. Thooimai

Kavalars panchayats are appointed by to handle village-

level waste collection and processing. Meetings were

conducted every three months at the district level to

encourage the use of ISCs for women.

Improved use of sanitary complexes and community

toilets: Due to the efforts of Gandhigram, 48

panchayats in Dindigul district were declared ODF as

on March 2017, in the five blocks of Athoor, Nilakottai,

Impact

Group Toilets, Gandhigram


47


for Different Needs

Vathalagundu, Reddiyarchatram and Vadamadurai. As

part of this initiative, 26 community toilets were built

by block officials, thus achieving 100% coverage in

each . About 60% of sanitary complexes in panchayat

Dindigul were not in use owing to water scarcity, lack

of maintenance and increased IHHL ownership.

Saranya, a resident of Pithalaipatti, used the women's

sanitary complex until she managed to build her own

toilet (Box 18).

Box 18: Stopping the Practice of Open

Defecation

Saranya, a resident of Pithalaipatti in panchayat

Athoor block, Dindigul, resides in a small house

with her

husband and

three-year-old

son, Zakir.

Saranya, who

grew up in

Coimbatore,

was used to

having a toilet

at home. After

her marriage in 2014, she moved to Pithalaipatti

and found that open defecation was a common

practice in her husband's family. She

remembers not being able to cross certain roads

in the village because of the filth and stench.

Luckily for her, Gandhigram had renovated a

women's sanitary complex close to her house

with support. This gave her the choice panchayat

to say no to open defecation. “I only go to the

sanitary complex, even when it rains,” she

reiterates.

Around this time, Saranya met Mukthammal, a

WCF who explained the benefits of having a

toilet and the dangers of not having one.

Saranya convinced her husband to build a toilet

near their house. Mukthammal helped her

submit the application for the SBM subsidy. Risks and Enablers

Poor location and access: The risk of large ISCs is that

Convenient access: An immediate outcome is the

increased and convenient access for women to 115

ISCs across geographies in Dindigul district (Box 19).

Box 19: Ease and Convenience

Interview with Nandini, an ISC user in Kavalakarapalayam

village, July 2018

Government contractors constructed the toilet,

while Saranya and her in-laws, along with

Gandhigram and government officials,

monitored progress and ensured quality.

Construction was completed within a month.

Ever since, she says it has been bliss. “Having

the comfort, ease of access and security of my

toilet is so good, especially during my period,” she

says. Saranya and other women of the family

take turns to clean and maintain the toilet. Their

toilet does not have a water connection, so they

placed a drum of water along with a mug and

soap to wash their hands near the toilet.

Saranya said that these improvements have

taken place not only in her family, but also in

most of the village. “We are grateful to

Mukthammal and our president for panchayat

making it so easy for us to access SBM,” Saranya

said appreciatively.

Interview with Saranya, an ISC user, Pithalaipatti , panchayat

July 2018

“All our family members and I have been using

the toilet complex near our house for the last

two years. It is constructed and maintained by

the and is open around the clock. The panchayat

complex has electricity, which makes it easy to

use at night. Repairs and complaints are

addressed quickly by the . Presently, panchayat

there is not enough space at home to construct

a toilet. However, we would like to build a toilet

in the future.”

Saranya and her son Zakir


48


for Different Needs

Key Messages

they are often located far away from where people live.

Building community or group toilets closer to target

populations would be a more convenient option,

leading to better use.

l Building partnerships

between government,

CSOs and CBOs is vital for

demand generation and

increased toilet options

Water scarcity: Lack of water in ISCs and community

toilets leads to poor maintenance and therefore, low

usage. To address this risk, the and local panchayat

administration need to proactively address water

supply issues.

Coordination between , block and district panchayat

officials: Facilitated by an NGO like Gandhigram, this

coordination was a major enabler in using SBM

provisions to build and increase access to community

toilets.

l Sanitary complexes and community toilets can play

a major role in ensuring

ODF communities. They

can widen access for

families who lack the

space or resources to

construct their own toilets

Insufficient staff: There is a shortage of SBM staff to

implement IEC and work with communities at the

block and levels. Given this paucity, Gram Panchayat

additional support was provided by Gandhigram, with

the support of Arghyam. They worked with BDO and

GP staff to motivate people, conduct IEC activities and

facilitate construction. More CSR support would get

additional resources to tackle this.

l Provision of infrastructure

like water, sewage and

electricity is vital for

sustainability of ISCs and

community toilets

l The model of salaries of being Thooimai Kavalars

paid from MGNREGA funds for 100 days, with the

state government paying the balance from its Solid

Waste Management Fund, can be implemented in

other states too

l CSOs can play a major role in renovating unused

complexes, reviving their functionality by sensitising

the community and devising appropriate

community-managed and operated mechanisms

In the remote village of Bajrangi Bigha in Chorsua

panchayat, Bihar, around 70 families of the Musahar

community live on the banks of the Panchanve river.

Not a single household had a toilet, nor had

government programmes reached this village. The

main challenge was a high water table (20-25 feet) and

space constraints, making construction of regular

toilets difficult. Typical soak pit toilets supported by

SBM resulted in surface water contamination in flood-

prone, high water table geographies, posing enormous

health risks to the local population. In discussions

with the Bhartiya Jan Utthan Parishad (BJUP), the

community requested septic tank toilets, while women

especially wanted privacy. Based on these inputs,

Shallow Water Table Toilets

Figure 13: Shallow Water Table Toilet Design by BJUP


49


for Different Needs

BJUP decided to build shallow water table toilets

designed to protect the water table, with a bathing

area for each household. Though BJUP did not have

engineers in their staff, the toilet designs were tailored

to community needs. Low-cost septic toilets were

built with local materials, occupied very little space

and were easy to maintain. Suited for shallow water

table areas, its design ensured that effluents and

waste water is filtered many times before water is

discharged through the outlet.

Toilet Design

Community mobilisation and raising awareness: BJUP

organised meetings and street plays or nukkad nataks

and created posters to educate the community on

water, sanitation and hygiene issues. Innovative

communication methods were used, such as printing

small cards with the (a devotional Hanuman Chalisa

hymn to Lord Hanuman) on one side, to ensure the

cards are not discarded, and sanitation messages on

the other.

Prioritised selection: Community members prioritized

The septic tank is partitioned into three chambers

where bricks are placed in an angular manner to

ensure easy flow. When effluents enter the first

chamber, the solid matter begins to break down into

smaller particles, which settle at the bottom. Liquid

waste continues to flow into the second and third

chambers. Finally, it reaches the soak pit which is half-

filled with layers of sand and granite. At this stage,

when the water permeates the ground after multiple

filtration processes through the chambers, it flows out

clean and does not contaminate the water source

(Figure 13). BJUP decided to address the challenges

of space and cost by constructing one septic tank

connected to four households, but building the

superstructure of a toilet with bath for each house.

Women's needs were specifically addressed, with

toilets having space for them to bathe and wash

clothes.

Process

Impact

Access to improved sanitation facilities: BJUP

constructed 29 shallow water table toilets, while the

rest were constructed under the SBM. Properly

ventilated and lighted toilets were built with good

quality doors and space to bathe and wash clothes,

thus ensuring women users dignity and privacy.

Model village: Improved awareness on water,

sanitation and hygiene led to increased cleanliness of

village roads as well. Due to BJUP's intervention,

Bajrangi Bigha has become a model for nearby

Positive change: In Bajrangi Bigha, positive behavioural

change resulted in well-maintained toilets and a high

level of ownership. The early sensitisation of children

on water, sanitation and hygiene issues has potential

for long-term impact, as they will be the next

generation of users and implementers.

the construction of toilets and bathrooms for the

disabled, elderly and pregnant users.

Consent for construction: Before commencing

construction, households signed a consent document

allowing BJUP to build toilets in their homes, and

recording their responsibilities in the process.


Formation of VHSC: In order to encourage toilet

building, usage and maintenance, a VHSC consisting

of 11 members was formed, which conducted monthly

meetings on sanitation.

Monitoring usage and maintenance: BJUP trained

households on maintenance, while the VHSC

supervised them.

Panchayat support: panchayat The was actively

involved in awareness creation and building of toilets.

The president's efforts helped supply water panchayat

connections through the Chief Minister's Nal Jal

Yojana.

Financial arrangements: The cost of INR 25,000 per unit

(toilet and bath) was mainly borne by Arghyam, with

the community contributing INR 9,000 per toilet.


50


for Different Needs

Communities need the time and space to adopt new

sanitation solutions. Identified groups, particularly

women, who have specific needs and domestic

High costs: Since the shallow water table toilet model

was expensive, the BDO was apprehensive about the

construction of septic tanks in Bajrangi Bigha. BJUP

allayed their concerns by lowering costs through

building one septic tank for four households.

Community buy-in: It was a challenge creating

awareness on the importance of toilets and building

ownership in backward, remote communities with no

basic amenities. Committed involvement by BJUP and

the enabled the generation of demand for panchayat

toilets.

Risks and Enablers

villages, who now aspire to these new standards.

l These toilets are expensive and will require

additional funds either from SBM or donors

Way Forward

Supply-driven models do not factor in local conditions

or barriers to toilet use. For toilets to be relevant and

beneficial to users, their design should take into

account terrain, availability of water, depth of water

table, population density and gender and community

needs. While SBM recognizes this, its implementation

on the ground has been difficult.

Information on new toilet designs and sanitation

expertise is more readily available today.

Implementing organisations need to spend a good

amount of time educating themselves and

communities on the benefits of different toilet options.

Key Messages

l In flood-prone, high water table areas, the

incorporation of shallow water table toilets into SBM

guidelines can prevent faecal contamination and

water-borne diseases

responsibilities need to be involved in the design and

maintenance of toilets. Therefore, it is important not to

push for universal acceptance and coverage in short

periods of time. Instead, it would be important to

spend time prior to construction on mobilising

communities and building awareness on health

outcomes and water, sanitation and hygiene issues.

Government buy-in is equally vital, as large repair and

infrastructure provisions are needed for sustainability,

be it ISCs, community, group or Ecosan toilets.

New toilet options can be more expensive than regular

types funded by SBM. However, in spaces where

traditional toilets are not viable, recognizing the value

of alternative solutions tailored to local conditions is

the need of the hour. New, cost-effective technologies

can be evolved, but require pioneering financing

models and donors. The Agriculture Finance

Corporation maintains that, “the quantum of subsidy as

well as unit costs need to be revised suitably and made

area-specific rather than uniform all across the country,

through a realistic assessment of material and

construction costs, availability of material, and

practicability”. Creative financing through convergence

with other programmes such as the Panchayat

General Fund, MGNREGA, SBM and Nal Jal Yojana can

help address cost issues.

Considering the task at hand is too large for any one

agency to handle, there is a need for increased

collaboration and partnership between the

government, corporates, NGOs and other agencies to

effectively address India's sanitation and hygiene

challenges.

34 As quoted in Step by Step Sustainable Sanitation, Arghyam, June 2010, page 36.


Reaching the Last Mile

Since its inception, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has aimed to

combat open defecation by providing access to toilets in rural India.

Many households across the nation now have access to toilet and

sanitation facilities. However, despite the extensive efforts of government,

civil society organisations (CSOs) and community based organisations

(CBOs), achieving 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages remains a

constant challenge. This is because access to toilets for the last mile,

comprising the poorest and most marginalised sections, remains an uphill

task.

Between April 2013 and June

2014, Arghyam implemented the

Behaviour Change Communication

(BCC) project to generate demand

for individual toilets in Davangere 36district, Karnataka. However, it

could not achieve ODF status due

to low usage by communities for whom toilets were constructed, and

Context

A family with a paucity of

economic resources tends to

prioritise food and shelter over

sanitation. Furthermore, when it

comes to rural or remote settings,

delivery of sanitation services is

almost inversely proportional to

the degree of connectivity of the 35village. In most implementation

areas of SBM, the first 80-90% of

the community is easier to reach.

It is the last 10-20% that requires

concerted, individualised attention.

Key factors impeding toilet

construction and usage are

affordability, lack of documents,

non-availability of space, low

priority assigned to sanitation, and

belief systems.

Chapter 7

51

Figure 14: Strategies

to Reach the Last Mile

36 http://arghyam.org/focus-areas/behaviour-change-communication-for-sanitation/

35 http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPRS1/Resources/383606-1205334112622/13887_chap23.pdf, p. 374


UsingaCase-by-CaseApproach

DeployingAdequateHuman

Resources

Collaborationwith

Panchayats

52

Chapter 7Reaching the Last Mile

insufficient coverage for the poorest. Thus, Arghyam

partnered with Support for Network and Extension

Help Agency (SNEHA) to design a pilot intervention

that could achieve 80% coverage in three Gram

Panchayats (GPs) and 100% coverage in two GPs in

Davangere. Arghyam's rationale in investing in this

initiative was to innovate and document strategies for

the last mile, which could subsequently be scaled up

by the government. Based on the outcomes of this

pilot, SNEHA implemented a follow-up initiative on a

larger scale in Honnali , Davangere in 2016, using taluk

a multi-pronged strategy to achieve ODF status.

Baseline survey: SNEHA conducted a door-to-door

survey in five pilot to identify Gram Panchayats

households without toilets and reasons why they had

not built them. They assessed the status of

construction, structural quality and usage of existing

toilets, and reasons for disuse. They were able to

identify those eligible for SBM incentives and those

who had not received these incentives, and determine

what type of support they required. Gram Panchayat

officials supported these efforts by updating and

verifying data collected against their own.

The project aimed to develop a replicable model to

address last mile issues in construction and usage by

collaborating closely with several stakeholders like

Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs), Swachhata

Doots and others at the GP level. This chapter provides

insights into methods undertaken to reach the last

mile, including the use of appropriate and affordable

technology.

Process

SNEHA conducted a survey to identify households

without a toilet, understand their constraints, then

create and put in place customized solutions in close

coordination with the government. Figure 14 provides

an overview of strategies used to reach the last mile.

Using a case-by-case approach: SNEHA adopted a case-

by-case rather than one-size-fits-all approach to

address last mile issues. The survey findings revealed

Deploying adequate human resources: This highly

human resource intensive process required SNEHA's

Project Management Team (PMT) to first identify

households who could not build toilets due to space or

geological (e.g. rocks being too hard to dig the toilet

pit) constraints, lack of documents or other

difficulties. Once genuine barriers were determined,

the PMT personalised responses to each. Families

with thatched houses and limited space were

convinced to construct toilets 100-200 metres away

from the main house, or to locate them in accordance

with future expansion plans. Families without space

were provided keys to community toilets and

motivated to use them.

Affordable sanitation technology and finance: For

households who could not afford toilets, SNEHA found

innovative ways to lower the average cost of a new

toilet, which ranged from INR 9,000 to INR 15,000.

They identified and linked households to local

suppliers, who provided appropriate construction

materials at affordable rates. The Gram Panchayat

responsible for construction ensured that suppliers

were paid and that households received SBM

incentives.

Expenses such as skilled labour (INR 3,500), non-

skilled labour (INR 2,000) and materials (INR 3,000)

a variety of problems faced by different households.

SNEHA explored solutions for each of them, working

closely with local administration and creating a review

mechanism to systematically address these problems

along with households.

The PMT helped households obtain and submit proper

documents and be eligible for sanitation schemes.

They helped open bank accounts to ensure receipt of

incentives. Where community toilets were not being

used due to a lack of understanding on their

importance, SNEHA convinced families to use them.

They sensitized families on the health risks of open

defecation, its adverse impact on water resources and

environment, and the medical costs arising from poor

hygiene practices.


53


were broken down, which helped families understand

costs and see where to reduce them. Arghyam

provided a grant of INR 10 lakhs, used as a revolving

fund for households that needed upfront finance.

Women were encouraged to join self-help groups

(SHGs) to avail of gap financing loans. Loan

requirements ranged from INR 3,000 to INR 7,000 and

were repaid through SHGs.

Collaboration with : panchayats After orienting

panchayat officials, SNEHA motivators accompanied

them to sensitise, educate and motivate households to

build and use toilets. members helped link Panchayat

individuals to local suppliers whenever needed.

SNEHA reviewed and followed up with officials to

ensure incentives were released. As leaders with the

authority to address last mile issues, staff panchayat

visits built the confidence of households and created a

platform to address sanitation constraints.

Facilitating access to SBM incentives: SNEHA found

that several families who had built toilets with their

own funds had not received SBM incentives. They also

came across poor households not listed under the

Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and hence

ineligible for SBM incentives. SNEHA forwarded the

list of these households to the Block Level Officer to

include them as recipients. SNEHA also organized

data entry operator training, thereby ensuring that

panchayats updated the toilet status in state and

government websites for families to access

incentives. Post construction, when faced with

connectivity issues, SNEHA used their own equipment

to upload photographs of completed toilets using the

SBM's software. This resulted in the PanchaTantra

Review mechanisms: Regular reviews and follow-up

meetings with staff, including PDOs, panchayat

discussed issues related to construction, release of

incentives, irregular water supply and data updation in

the Government of Karnataka's software. PanchaTantra

PDOs would identify solutions to these issues, thereby

ensuring that the SBM implementation process

reached even those once considered unreachable.

incentive being transferred automatically to the

beneficiary's account through an e-payment system.

Motivating landlords: Despite the need for a toilet, some

people could not construct one because they were not

residing in their own homes. Other challenges were the

homeless, migrant workers and absentee landlords,

who were not in a position to decide on construction.

To remedy this, the PDO took on the responsibility of

contacting and motivating the house owner to

construct a toilet.

Countering superstition: Owing to prevalent

superstitions, some households with pregnant women

resisted toilet construction. SNEHA staff made them

aware of the importance of sanitation, especially for

pregnant women. They explained how a one-time

investment of INR 5,000 to INR 10,000 on a toilet

would safeguard their health and protect them against

larger medical expenses in the long term.

Promoting use: SNEHA motivators attended Gram

Sabhas and MGNREGA meetings to educate attendees

on the importance of toilet use. They helped the village

envision and aim for an ODF community. They also

discussed the ODF concept and toilet usage at

Anganwadi Teachers' Circle meetings. SBM workers

and women from 70 SHGs were involved in motivating

households in 50 to follow up on toilet panchayats

usage.

SNEHA used multiple strategies with stakeholders

such as , , Gram Panchayats Swachhata Doots

Community Based Organisations (CBOs), schools and

banks to identify, motivate and convince households

to use toilets (Figure 14). School and anganwadi

teachers, who were oriented on sanitation, identified

children who did not have toilets at home. Gram

Panchayats mobilised villagers to construct toilets and

provided linkages to affordable local suppliers. SNEHA

oriented PDOs, and Health Swachhata Doots

Department staff on individualised approaches

towards usage. PDOs played a vital role in collecting



54


and processing applications, issuing work orders to

families and ensuring payment of incentives. In

partnership with the government, SNEHA thus

instituted a strong review mechanism to identify and

resolve problems for the last mile.

Impact

SNEHA was able to reach the last mile through

providing upfront finance (Box 20) and involving the

panchayat to motivate households (Box 21).

Each person has the fundamental right to live in a

clean and healthy environment. By December 2016,

over a period of one year, SNEHA was able to facilitate

the building of 4,880 last mile toilets in Honnali and

achieve the twin goals of constructing toilets and

ensuring use. By March 2017, in the 50 Gram

Panchayats that were part of this initiative, 13,556

families built toilets, details of which were uploaded on

the portal. Open defecation came down PanchaTantra

from 20% to as low as 10%. As a result, 12 Gram

Panchayats out of the 50 that were targeted for this

initiative were able to achieve 100% ODF status. One

indication for the potential scaling-up of this practice

was the demand for it from officials from Tumkur and

Ramnagar, who requested SNEHA to train their staff

and replicate these strategies in their districts.

Box 20: Disability Access to Finance

through Revolving Funds

After marriage,

Bheemakka moved to the

village of Tavarekere

where she lives with her

16-year-old son, a tenth

standard student. She

earns her living finishing

woven baskets by folding

and tucking in the spokes

to ensure an even edge,

and earns INR 1 per basket. Born blind,

Bheemakka finds a number of tasks difficult.

Bheemakka in Tavarekere

Her son helps her with daily chores, including

finding a suitable place in the nearby fields for

her to relieve herself.

With only five employees, and the need for intensive

individualized intervention, SNEHA overcame this

human resource constraint by actively involving the

panchayat and collaborating with several stakeholders.

Elected representatives were sensitised on the risks of

open defecation and many not only handled the

technical or bureaucratic aspects of the scheme, but

also supported the villagers in understanding and

valuing the importance of toilets. They executed the

program in a way that people took up the scheme

quickly, approvals were swift and incentives were

disbursed in time (Box 21).

A breakthrough occurred when SNEHA visited

her house to understand her problems. They got

her a loan from Arghyam's revolving fund, and

organised labour to start construction. The team

also filled and submitted her documents.

Bheemakka truly appreciates the value of a

toilet near her house, and says she now has the

freedom to answer nature's call without

depending on her son.

Basavarajappa lives in

Hatihal village with his

wife Sarvamangalamma.

He was adamant about

not constructing a toilet

as he thought it was

unnecessary. A large

team comprising a

When she first heard about SBM, she was told

that she would have to pay for construction and

would be compensated by the government later.

However, Bheemakka could neither participate

in the construction, nor afford the up-front

costs.

Box 21: Intensive Group Motivation

Basavarajappa in Hatihal

Village


55


Key Messages

Swachhata Doots are assets who must be motivated to

reach out to the last mile. Along with government

officials, they need to understand that visiting

individual households is time consuming, but

necessary. Such visits will help them understand and

find solutions for individual cases. Unlike when dealing

with the first 80% of the population, the extra effort

required to reach the last mile may require additional

time and resources, which implementing agencies

such as government and donors need to plan for in the

design of programmes.

When it comes to reaching the last mile, it is important

to understand each household's issues, constraints

and limitations. Hence, adopting a standard strategy

for the last mile would not work and intervention on a

case-by-case basis is vital.

Government officials such as PDOs and Zilla Parishad

CEOs are regularly transferred, which hinders

continuity. SNEHA staff had to duplicate the efforts of

orientation for new officials and rebuild rapport to

facilitate SBM processes.

SNEHA's baseline survey effectively made visible

excluded households and their unique reasons for not

using or constructing toilets. With the support of the

panchayat, SNEHA was then able to find solutions for

each of these issues. Without a baseline that

assessed the needs of the last mile, there was the risk

of being unable to design tailored strategies.

Arghyam's revolving fund grant of INR 10 lakhs acted

as gap finance, lessening the burden for those who

could not afford the costs of construction.

Motivating various tiers of government to release

incentives was an essential aspect of broadening

coverage. This guarantee was able to overturn the

perception among villagers that incentives would not

be forthcoming, and successfully countered

demotivation in the community.

Risks and Enablers

This highly human resource intensive effort paid

off, and Basavarajappa agreed to build a toilet in

his home. Masons were called and they started

digging the pit. Today, Basavarajappa himself

advocates the advantages of using a toilet to

other villagers.

District Council Total Sanitation Campaign

consultant, the president and Gram Panchayat

secretary, the SNEHA support unit and village

residents went to meet Basavarajappa. These

people from different walks of life conveyed the

importance and benefits of having a toilet.

SNEHA had a dedicated team of five to identify and

address problems individually, which was time

consuming and human resource intensive. Finding

even this to be inadequate for follow up, they had to

seek support from GPs and PDOs. Swachhata Doots

were oriented to understand the issues of the last mile

and reach out with appropriate messages. The lesson

learnt was that without dedicated human resources,

there is the risk of not being able to handle households

on a case-by-case basis.

The active participation of the in their areas panchayat

of jurisdiction yielded substantial results for the last

mile to access toilets.

Without regular follow-ups, there is the risk that

households could revert to old sanitation habits. To

resolve this, SNEHA requested the Chief Executive

Officer (CEO) of the to focus efforts on Zilla Parishad

one in a at a time, with the Gram Panchayat taluk

strategy that only when all households had toilets and

the area was ODF, should attention be shifted to the

next . Being an outside agency, SNEHA panchayat

could not afford to depute a person solely for this

exercise. Therefore, to ensure that households

continued to use toilets, a local person such as the

PDO or needed to be trained and Swachhata Doot

assigned this task.


56


As the SNEHA experience informs us, reaching the last

mile requires an individualised approach addressing

the specific needs of each household. This is both

time and human resource intensive, and requires a

collaborative effort between donors, civil society and

government. SBM needs to develop a focussed

approach to ensure that marginalised communities are

not left out. One recommendation is that the

government considers putting together a team at the

district level which is specifically tasked with reaching

the last mile.

Way Forward

Referring to the excluded, Additional Secretary,

Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS)

Saraswati Prasad said, “Although these individuals

and groups exist in large numbers, they are often

unheard and remain invisible. Their stories reflect the

daily struggles they face because they do not have

access to safe and hygienic sanitation facilities and

continue to defecate in the open. Without listening to

and understanding their challenges and concerns, the

goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission will remain 37elusive.”

Another important recommendation is to make toilet

construction technology more affordable and finance

more accessible. In the absence of upfront capital, gap

financing is a plausible solution. However, institutional

credit not being easily available for sanitation remains

a challenge, specifically for the last mile. SNEHA

organised a bankers' meet, but banks were not keen on

providing such loans. One way to service the last mile

is for bankers to comply with policy-level directives

that prioritise sanitation loans for those who need

them. Considering that SBM guarantees incentives for

the poorest, repayment of these loans is a low-risk

proposition, and can become a worthwhile market for

banks to explore.

37 https://www.wsscc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Leave-No-One-Behind-India-Country-report.pdf


Chapter 8

57

38 http://www.mdws.gov.in/sites/default/files/Primer%20SLWM.pdf

Solid and liquid waste has a direct impact on human health and far-

reaching consequences if not managed properly. In India, solid

waste is burnt, dumped or allowed to flow into water bodies. Such

unhygienic approaches cause air pollution, degradation in soil quality,

contamination of water bodies and diseases like cholera, typhoid and

dysentery. A robust waste management system prevents this and positively

impacts communities.

Context

Gandhigram has collaborated with the

Dindigul district administration in Tamil

Nadu since April 2014. With support

from Arghyam, they facilitated the

implementation of SBM activities in

Athoor, Nilakkottai, Vathalagundu,

Reddiyarchatram and Vadamadurai

blocks. To accomplish SLWM, the

district administration in Dindigul

selected one open defecation free (ODF)

panchayat in each block to act as model

villages to implement a robust Solid

Waste Management (SWM) system.

Beyond Toilets: Solid and Liquid Waste Management

Process

Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) is a key component of

Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), launched with the objective of improving 38cleanliness, hygiene and quality of life in rural India. Liquid waste can be

treated and used productively or safely disposed of. However, while SLWM

is an urgent need, and local governments do not have the panchayats

necessary capacity or expertise. Building this capacity is the first step

towards tackling waste management

issues.

Gandhigram's strategies included raising community awareness, building

the capacity of stakeholders, especially local government, and creating the

hardware and asset base to implement SWM activities. SWM infrastructure

was established within boundaries, along with financial support panchayat

Well equipped Thooimai Kavalars


58

Chapter 8Beyond Toilets: Solid and Liquid

Waste Management

Awareness Generation on SWM to Create an

Enabling Environment

Mass awareness among community members: With

support from Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and

Community Person (CPs), mass awareness meetings

were conducted at MGNREGA sites on SLWM

processes and the negative effects of plastic.

Students and self-help group (SHG) members

participated in meetings, National Service Scheme

(NSS) camps, cultural events, rallies and other

initiatives.

Capacity building of government functionaries: SWM is

essentially a set of processes which need to be

followed diligently

to achieve the

desired results, and

stakeholders must

be trained

appropriately.

Gandhigram

carried out

capacity building

and developed the

efficiencies to execute SWM. Visits to sites where

SWM was already being implemented exposed them to

available methodologies and resources.

Orientation on SWM: Orientation programmes were

conducted for a range of stakeholders such as Village 39 Poverty Reduction Committee (VPRC)

representatives, CPs and school students. Block-level 40VPRC representatives were given information on the

roles of their secretaries and treasurers in maintaining

accounts related to SWM, the disbursement of wages

to and incentives to CPs. Thooimai Kavalars,

Gandhigram facilitated the training of 294 PRI

members on environmental issues, types of solid

waste, household waste collection, segregation and

Thooimai Kavalars Being Trained

Thooimai Kavalars collect and segregate

domestic garbage into biodegradable and non-

biodegradable waste. Plastic collected is sold to

SHGs, who then recycle it for different purposes.

The VPRC, along with the president, panchayat

monitors this process.

Box 22: Convergence of SBM and

MGNREGA in Tamil Nadu

(Box 22) to source cow dung for vermicomposting, and

process collected waste regularly. The Tamil Nadu

government appointed (sanitation Thooimai Kavalars

workers) to collect waste from households. They were

trained on vermicompost by the Regional Training

Institute, Chennai, and the district administration.

Gandhigram conducted refresher training programmes

in each block for 34 men and 550 women. Gandhigram

built the capacities of and SWM site Thooimai Kavalars

workers from selected villages on waste management

processes, segregation of waste and preparation of

manure. Training on best practices in SWM covered

the Four R's - Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, and

dissuaded participants from burning solid waste,

especially plastic. They were equipped with gloves,

masks, shoes and iron forks and educated on roles,

responsibilities and duration of work. A tricycle or

pushcart was provided for every 150 houses. A SWM

site worker was assigned the responsibility of tracking

records of attendance, waste Thooimai Kavalar

collection, segregation and depositing degradable

waste in the dumping yard.

Village panchayats selected 3 to 20 sanitation

workers ( from MGNREGA Thooimai Kavalars)

sites, and inducted them into the SWM process.

This scheme was dovetailed with MGNREGA,

which paid participants for the first 150 days.

Subsequently, workers were paid from the state

government's Solid Waste Management Fund.

The payment was made to SHGs and not to

individuals.

39 The Village Poverty Reduction Committee is a community organisation formed under the

World Bank-aided Pudhu Vaazhvu Project, with representatives predominantly from the

target population40 Project Evaluation Report, April 2014 – March 2018, Annex 4A


59


Waste Management

Waste dumping yards: The dumping yard is an area with

three pits, the size of which is dependent on the

population. One pit is used to dump biodegradable

waste after segregation, the second is allocated for

non-degradable waste, and the third one is kept empty

for degradable waste after the first pit fills every few

months.

Special infrastructure was established at pilot

panchayat sites, which included

segregation sheds with roofing and

sections for weighing, dumping,

vermicomposting and storage.

Currently, SBM provides adequate

financing (between INR 2 lakhs to

INR 4 lakhs, based on the size of

the ) for creation of SWM infrastructure in panchayat

panchayats across Tamil Nadu.

management. In coordination with Block Development

Officers (BDOs), Gandhigram trained CPs, block level

committee members, contractors, school heads,

anganwadi teachers and shopkeepers on their roles.

Segregation shed: This is a small room used to store

material, with a zinc sheet for roofing. A weighing

scale is kept here to weigh waste daily, which is

recorded by the SWM site worker.

Building of Waste Management Infrastructure

Vermicomposting yard: Thatched-roof sheds were

constructed with the help of the District Rural

In order to efficiently leverage SBM activities and

disburse revolving fund loans, Gandhigram formed

block-level committees chaired by the BDO in each

block, who met the Gandhigram team every month.

Capacities on SWM measures were built among

panchayat staff, school heads, teachers and masons.

Gandhigram engaged with local

administration to streamline SWM

processes and ensure that its importance

was understood by all. Despite being an

informal arrangement, Gandhigram

successfully facilitated SWM in the five

blocks of Dindigul district by acting as a

resource agency. They helped expedite

meetings for officials, where SWM activities panchayat

were reviewed by BDOs and zonal officers.

Gandhigram took stock of the situation on the ground,

presented solutions and deliberated on additional

support required by CPs and WCFs. However,

operational pilots supported by Arghyam were only in

five where Gandhigram was the Gram Panchayats

implementing agency.

Development Agency (DRDA). Green sheets reduce

sunlight on the exteriors, while interiors house nine

vermicomposting pits.


Soak pits or magic pits: Community members were

encouraged to use waste water for kitchen gardens

instead of letting it flow on to the streets. Following

discussions with households, Women

Cluster Facilitators (WCFs), assisted by a

technical officer, identified locations for the

proper disposal of waste water through

pits. Subsequently, 200 soak pits were

constructed across five blocks to prevent

water stagnation and breeding of

mosquitoes. These individual soak pits are

also called 'magic pits'.

Segregation Shed and Dumping Yard with Pits

Vermicompost Pit

Soak Pit


60


Waste Management

The main risk to the success of SWM is getting

households to segregate waste at source. Waste

segregation at the household level is more efficient

than segregation at the end point. Despite awareness

drives, some households still do not segregate waste

at home. Community awareness and monitoring, along

with incentives and fines, can help ensure household

compliance.

SWM interventions increased capacity to manage

waste within communities by improving human

resources and infrastructure. A trained cadre in the

form of a Community Technical Resource Group

(CTRG) was created to resolve water, sanitation and

hygiene issues. A total of 912 (97 Thooimai Kavalars

men and 815 women) from 101 villages of five blocks 42were trained in SWM. Adequate SWM infrastructure

was established in all five model . panchayats

An end-term evaluation found that mass awareness

programmes on water, sanitation and hygiene had a

profound impact on these communities. From

conserving water during summer to using waste water

from washing clothes for sanitation purposes,

community members started to demonstrate a

noticeably positive change in behaviour. SWM and

water, sanitation and hygiene measures led to a

perceptible improvement in public health, and

outbreaks of diarrhoea reduced substantively.

worth of plastic waste was sold for recycling in N.

Panjampatti . While waste is sold, the focus panchayat

is more on keeping the village clean and not leaving

waste unattended, rather than generating income.

Risks and Enablers

The responsibility for SWM in lies with the panchayats

Thooimai Kavalars . These are contract workers, not

permanent employees, and are paid on a daily basis

through MGNREGA (Box 24). They earn around INR

200 per day of work, and face the constant risk of

unemployment due to local politics. Since April 2018,

the Tamil Nadu government has ensured that they are

41 Gandhigram Field Visit, July 201842 Project Evaluation Report, April 2014 – March 2018, annex 4A

Impact

Nallammal has lived in

Veerakal of panchayat

Athoor block in Dindigul

all her life. Earlier, the

street outside her house

used to be littered with

kitchen and human

waste. Now, due to the

Thooimai Kavalars and

increased sanitation in the village, the street has

become much cleaner. As the is quite panchayat

large, pick up waste once in Thooimai Kavalars

two days. Nallammal says this frequency suits

her needs as it takes over three days for her

waste bin to fill. Normally, ring Thooimai Kavalars

their bell around 9 am to alert the

neighbourhood to bring out their waste. “Our

community has become so clean because of

Thooimai Kavalars. They are really doing a good

job!”, exclaimed Nallammal.

Box 23: Cleaner Communities

The clean village roads and environment are due

largely to management of solid waste by Thooimai

Kavalars (Box 23). Many villages have become ODF

and garbage is collected, segregated and converted

into value-added products like vermicompost. Plastic

components are used for laying of roads.

Degradable waste is turned into compost, which

increases agricultural productivity and is mostly used

by farmers on their own land, while non-degradable

waste is sold, earning revenue for . An panchayats

average of 25%-35% of household waste was

composted as part of SWM. Over a six-month period in

2016-17, 35,480 kilograms of non-biodegradable waste

and 9,34,000 kilograms of degradable waste was

collected and composted from 8033 households 41across four model Around INR 1,000 panchayats.

Source: Field Visit to Gandhigram, July 2018

Nallammal in Veerakal


61


Waste Management

For SBM to succeed, the implementation of effective

SLWM systems in rural areas across the country is

crucial. Some village in Tamil Nadu have panchayats

successfully implemented waste management

systems based on the 'waste to wealth' concept.

However, the focus is more on SWM, with the liquid

waste management component being limited to the

construction of soak pits and promotion of kitchen

gardens. For overall cleanliness, community-managed

environmental sanitation systems require attention to

both solid and liquid waste management. Due

attention must be paid to the management of black

and grey water, and the development and maintenance

of infrastructure like village drainage systems.

Inadequate equipment and lack of maintenance is a

barrier to waste collection. A technical evaluation

team suggested that members motivate panchayat

waste collectors to service and repair their

wheelbarrows in a timely manner to prevent 43overflowing dustbins . Funds for adequate equipment

and regular upkeep are required for SBM to achieve

efficiency in the collection and transportation of

waste.

Way Forward

Motivating people and a continuous reinforcement of

essential waste management processes is key to

having a robust waste management system. This

involves a deeper engagement with households until

the system becomes routine. NGOs like Gandhigram

have been able to have a more structured approach to

waste management by organising communities,

ensuring their participation in SWM, building

capacities of stakeholders and demonstrating the

effective implementation of government programmes.

SBM can benefit by collaborating with NGOs focused

on sanitation, who can play a greater role by using

their social capital with communities to create the

required environment.

A key lesson was to transform villages into waste-free

43 Leveraging Swachh Bharat Mission Activities in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu State,

Project Evaluation Report, April 2014 – March 2018, Annex 7

Box 24: , the Foot Thooimai Kavalars

Soldiers of SBM – Roles and Challenges

paid a monthly salary of INR 2,500, thus increasing

their incentive to work regularly and ameliorating the

risk of underemployment.

A major challenge was getting households to

provide their waste to them. They went house-

to-house daily for over three months for people

to trust the service enough and stop throwing

waste in vacant lands. Gandhigram and

government functionaries trained Thooimai

Kavalars on their roles, including waste

segregation and its importance. They face two

major occupational challenges – the vast area

they have to cover and the scale of pay they

receive. Each has to cover over Thooimai Kavalar

70 households per day. Their second challenge

is getting people to segregate waste at the

household level. Both Muthuvani and Kurupriya

acknowledge that changing behaviour will take

time and that is the next task they need to take

on.

Muthuvani and Kurupriya are partners in

collecting

waste around

their village. As

two of the six

Thooimai

Kavalars hired

by the

Panchayat

Secretary, they

are provided gloves, safety masks, a uniform

and a cycle cart to collect waste. Their work day

starts at 7 am, when they visit households with

their cart. Muthuvani and Kurupriya blow

whistles to alert families to bring their waste

out. They transport collected waste to a shed for

segregation.

Thooimai Kavalars - Muthuvani and Kurupriya


62


Waste Management

In order to sustain SWM, partnerships amongst

institutions to generate awareness, resource sharing

across programmes, active participation of

communities, provision of sanitation and waste

management infrastructure and capacity building and

monitoring mechanisms are all sound strategies.

Other states can adopt the model of deploying

MGNREGA workers for SWM activities on a regular

basis.

Corporates too can partner with implementing

organisations and governments to intensify SWM

processes and activities. They can accelerate waste

management mechanisms by providing the necessary

resources, technologies and expertise.

zones, while making the process financially viable.

Coordination and convergence with multiple agencies

can maximise the impact of SWM while lowering

costs. The Tamil Nadu government utilised its own

funds and those allocated from the centre's MGNREGA

and SBM to convert solid waste into fertilizer and

other forms of wealth. Employment opportunities were

created by involving local people and SHGs in waste

collection and composting. Decentralisation of SWM

gave impetus to the creative convergence of schemes

to bolster processes.


Gramener accessed sanitation data from the Ministry of Drinking Water and

Sanitation (MDWS) portal in April 2013. Once this data was extracted, it was

studied, decoded and graphic tools developed to provide a broad picture of

rural sanitation in India. The visualisations were uploaded on the India

In 2013, the website of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation

(MDWS) provided tabular data on sanitation coverage during the Nirmal

Bharat Abhiyan (NBA). The NBA's hands-on, decentralized system

allowed districts to enter their data directly into the website, thus providing

real-time updates. Detailed information at block and levels was panchayat

proactively shared with all.

Although a wealth of disaggregated data was available on the state of 44sanitation, its presentation in tabular format was not easily understood.

While the website allowed live updates, it did not reflect changes in

coverage, nor was it clear whether new information had been added.

Furthermore, it provided data on financial and physical progress in two

separate locations. Thus, the nationwide status of sanitation was difficult to

understand, both for the layperson as well as for major stakeholders like

panchayats, state governments and civil society organisations (CSOs).

Process

Visualising the State of SanitationContext

Gramener is a data visualisation product and services company, that was

commissioned by Arghyam to analyse existing data on sanitation coverage

as well as to improve and demystify its presentation format. The objective

was to develop simple visual tools to display and interpret data that would

provide a snapshot of sanitation coverage from national to district levels.

The tools would allow financial and physical growth to be visually compared

across states and districts, as well as to each other. Triangulation against

other national data sets, like census statistics on population density and

health, would lend to better analysis and planning. As districts feed live

sanitation data directly into the website, this could instantly be converted

into visuals. This process would allow government, CSOs and citizens to

better understand, access and use data for analysis and planning of water,

sanitation and hygiene interventions. Visual presentation of data could

thereby promote participation and lead to greater government transparency

and accountability.

Chapter 9

63

44 Using Sanitation Data Effectively, Arghyam, Powerpoint Presentation, 2014


Water Portal website in November 2013 under The

Great Indian Toilet Tracker45. Each visual was

accompanied by a short explanation of its content for

the viewer.

Financial data for rural sanitation from NBA was first

analysed, following which visual tools were developed

to compare the planned allocation, amount released

and actual money spent for each state and district. For 46example, Figure 15 depicts the money spent on rural

sanitation against planned budgets under NBA for 472013. Figure 16 shows the physical progress of the

actual number of toilets constructed against targets

set by state and district.

Graphics created for the MDWS website analysed and

compared the financial and physical progress of rural

sanitation coverage across India. This was

complemented by a visual representation of census

data on population and health.

Visualisation of Financial and Physical

Performance

The box shows what was planned for each state. size

The larger the box, the larger the target (e.g. Uttar

64

Chapter 9Visualising the State of Sanitation

48b) Rural spending by activity

Financial and physical progress is displayed on the

water portal with the same visual logic at state and

district levels. Under expenditure vs targets for the

rural poor, the portal demonstrates many dimensions

including:

a) Total expenditure (Figure 15),

Pradesh and Bihar had the largest sanitation funding

in Figure 15) or the largest number of toilets planned

(e.g. Uttar Pradesh in Figure 16).

The of the box represents how much has been colour

achieved against the plan. The darker the green, the

higher the achievement, e.g. in Figure 15, Uttar

Pradesh had a high spend of its planned budget, while

in Figure 16, Himachal Pradesh built toilets on par with

its physical targets. Red or pink indicates a failure to

spend according to plan (e.g. Punjab in Figure 15), or

the failure to build toilets as per target (e.g. Bihar and

Jammu and Kashmir in Figure 16).

49c) Contributions by centre, state and beneficiaries

50d) School toilets

51e) Baby-friendly toiletsanganwadi

Figure 15: Money Spent Against Planned

Expenditure

Figure 16: Toilets Built Against Targets by

District

46 http://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/#Money%20spent%7CSpending%20on%20rural%20sanitation

50 https://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/#Money%20spent%7CMoney%20spent%20on%20sanitation%20coverage%20of%20rural%20schools

47 http://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/#Toilets%20built%7CTotal%20Sanitation%20Coverage

45 https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/great-indian-toilet-tracker

49 https://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/#Money%20spent%7CMoney%20given%20vs.%20Money%20spent

48 https://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/#Money%20spent%7CMoney%20spent%20on%20sanitation%20coverage%20of%20rural%20schools

51 https://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/#Money%20spent%7CMoney%20spent%20on%20sanitation%20coverage%20of%20rural%20nursery%20schools


65


g) Toilets for the rural poor

54j) Toilets in . anganwadis

f) Total number of toilets in rural India (Figure 16)

53i) Number of toilets in schools and

Visualisation of performance data across states and 55districts (Figure 17 ) in the India Water Portal shows

the potential for its analysis and use by multiple

stakeholders.

Similarly physical progress of toilets built against

targets is visualised as:

52h) Toilets against census data

Comparison of Financial vs Physical

Performance

Visual tools easily display state performance

comparing expenditure to actual toilets constructed, 56i.e. financial vs physical progress. In Figure 18 each

circle represents a state or union territory, where the

larger the circle, the greater the targeted number of

toilets. Actual data on the state appears on hovering

over the data point. Circles below the diagonal line in

the pink area indicate that more money was spent on

the toilets built. If the circle is above the line in the

green area, it shows that the state built more toilets

with less funds. This allowed stakeholders to see how

well each state or union territory had performed in

terms of toilets built versus the amount spent in a

given time frame.

Impact

Arghyam was able to help MDWS understand the

importance of data visualisation, which the

government then built upon. The India Water Portal

provides data only till 2014 while SBM-G's website

53 http://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/#Toilets%20built%7CToilets%20built%20for%20Schools

55 https://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/

56 http://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/#Performance%7CComparing%20spending%20to%20toilet%20construction%20-%20TSC

52 http://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/#Performance%7CToilet%20coverage%20Census%202001%20-%202011

54 http://www.indiawaterportal.org/data-apps/#Toilets%20built%7CToilets%20built%20for%20Nursery%20Schools

Fig 17: Effective Data Visualisation

Figure 18: Money Spent Compared to

Toilets Constructed


66


The SBM(U) dashboard too displays a national

snapshot of various parameters with updated

57dashboard (Figure 19 ) provides data from 2014

onwards as:

l A map of national and state data (instead of tables)

showing progress from the inception of SBM to the

present

l Visualisation represents performance data in a

simple form, where green indicates high

performance, red indicates poor performance, and

yellow represents average performance. This

representation allows state authorities to dedicate

more resources or take other necessary action

The SBM(G) dashboard was able to present up-to-date,

live data on national sanitation coverage. For example,

on 7 December 2018, Figure 19 showed 96.98% of the

target had been achieved, whereas currently the

dashboard depicts 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF)

with all states green. Since the launch of SBM,

10,20,28,923 individual household toilets have been

built, 6,03,175 villages, 706 districts, and 36 states and

union territories are ODF as on 2 October 2019.

information on performance and numbers (Figure 5820 ). Here, visual comparison using disaggregated

data by municipality would enable multiple

stakeholders to act.

Risks and Enablers

Data analysis helps anticipate challenges, and is an

integral part of the planning process. One enabler is

the availability of decentralized sanitation data at sub-

district levels. The risk lies in this data not being

effectively interpreted and understood, which can be

alleviated by proper visualisation. A graphic can

quickly show which states or districts need checking

for data consistency and on-ground achievement. The

risk is that if data is not visually presented,

administrations may find it difficult to compare their

performance to their targets, or to the performance of

others. This makes the exercise of future planning

difficult.

A major enabler was the presence of a receptive and

dynamic Joint Secretary-level official in the NBA, who

took on the responsibility of ensuring that data was

presented visually. Without visual tools, state

57 http://swachhbharatmission.gov.in/sbmcms/index.htm58 http://swachhbharaturban.gov.in/dashboard/

http://swachhbharaturban.gov.in

Figure 19: Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Dashboard


67


governments would find it a challenge to monitor

overall district performance at a glance. The current

SBM dashboard needs to do this for districts to

effectively understand their performance and plan

accordingly.

Likewise, if available census data on population 59density and water availability is presented visually , it

would help states, districts and panchayats plan the

next phase of toilet construction in conjunction with

higher need, availability and expansion of water

facilities.

Another risk to transparency and planning is the

availability, regularity, frequency and quality of data

provided by districts. This can be an impediment to

effective monitoring at different levels of government,

even in the event that visual tools are available.

Figure 20: Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) Dashboard

59 Using Sanitation Data Effectively, Arghyam, Powerpoint Presentation, 2014

Way Forward

“This effort resulted in recognition from

international agencies like the Transparency Board

in the UK, through tweets acknowledging the

importance of data visualisation on the sanitation

drive in India.”

A comparative and visual analysis of large data sets

can facilitate the planning and monitoring of water,

sanitation and hygiene targets. Two types of data sets

can be used for better sanitation coverage, in

conjunction with planning for improved outcomes.

Amrtha Kasturi Rangan, Senior Manager, Arghyam

Envisioning Data to Improve Water,

Sanitation and Hygiene Planning

l Population density data shows higher footfall areas,


68


where targeting construction would lead to higher

sanitation coverage compared to less populated

areas

l Governments can use graphics on water availability

to identify areas which already have water

connections in place to plan the next phase of toilet

construction

l Literacy data can help decision makers target

Information, Education and Communication (IEC)

components prior to toilet construction to create

awareness on sanitation and hygiene and spur

behaviour change

Overall, along with a policy that ensures regularly

updating data, a comprehensive picture of the factors

contributing to universal sanitation coverage would be

helpful for policy makers to weave into future water,

sanitation and hygiene strategies.

Visual data on population density, housing and land

availability can help panchayats plan community

toilets in areas where people do not have space in

their homes or land to build toilets.

Visual Data to Analyse the Impact of

Sanitation

l Transparency and Efficiency: Transparent display of

progress creates an impetus for government at

different levels to learn from each other and seek

solutions. A comparative monthly analysis of

district, block and panchayat performance can

provide motivation to increase efficiencies as well

as improve transparency and accountability

l Impact on Health: Visual comparisons of census

health statistics with sanitation coverage can

provide insights on epidemics and health indicators.

If areas with increased sanitation coverage or higher

water quality show better health outcomes, this

indicates some causality, and can help health

departments anticipate diseases or epidemics and

plan better to contain them. If visual data on disease

is juxtaposed with data on availability of water,

sanitation and hygiene facilities, the health

department will have evidence to analyse the

causes of diseases, and can work closely with SBM

to address them


Chapter 10

69

This compendium of best practices in sanitation provides evidence

that SBM needs to go beyond construction to address the usage and

maintenance of toilets in order to achieve ODF communities. The

outcomes that Arghyam aspired to achieve through its Theory of Change

comprise: increased use and access to toilets, increased engagement

between civil society and government to enable the successful

implementation of public programmes and innovation of solutions to

address gaps. The initiatives Arghyam supported worked towards creating

new and innovative ways through which sanitation services can be

demanded, delivered and financed. Therefore, documentation of these

initiatives and lessons learnt need to be widely disseminated across all

stakeholders to replicate, sustain and avoid reinventing the wheel.

The different initiatives contributed to increasing sanitation coverage in

varied ways (Figure 21). First and foremost, Arghyam and its partners

worked towards increasing demand, which meant raising community

awareness on the importance of sanitation and SBM entitlements.

Atmashakti, for instance, built community awareness on entitlements to

generate demand and thus increased sanitation coverage on a state-wide

Conclusions and Way Forward

Increased Sanitation Coverage

Entitlement Approach

Atmashakti built awareness

on entitlements which

increased demand for IHHLs

through SBM

Processing SBM

Applications

CSOs coordinated closely

to ensure the timely release

of SBM incentives

SNEHA customised toilet

solutions for the last mile

(20%) to achieve ODF status

Last Mile Repair Defunct Toilets

BJUP increased coverage

through renovating defunct

toilets


Figure 21: Increased Sanitation Coverage

70

Chapter 10Conclusions and Way Forward

basis. Second, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) like

Atmashakti, Gandhigram and Gramalaya worked on

the supply side as well, demystifying SBM procedures

and ensuring access by processing SBM applications.

Consequently, construction of toilets grew through the

work of Atmashakti (76,266 toilets in 1,240 villages),

Gandhigram (41,588 toilets in 5 blocks) and Gramalaya

(40,178 toilets in 222 villages).

Another pioneering intervention was led by Bhartiya

Jan Utthan Parishad (BJUP) to increase sanitation

coverage, not through construction of new individual

household latrines (IHHLs), but by renovating existing

toilets that had fallen into a state of disrepair and

disuse. By focusing on defunct toilets, BJUP built a

cost-effective pathway which increased toilet usage

with an average expenditure of only INR 4,000 per

toilet, through high levels of community participation

and transparency. Monitoring evidence on usage

showed that out of 310 defunct toilets, 280 were

repaired, all of which are now being used and

maintained by the households.

Reaching the first 80% of a community for SBM uptake

has proven a lot easier than the last 20%, essential to

creating ODF communities. To reach the last mile,

SNEHA worked with individual households to

understand and address their needs. Construction of

4,880 toilets was facilitated within one year, achieving

the twin goals of toilet construction and ensuring

usage. Open defecation too declined from 20% to 10%

in the same period. As a result of this initiative, 12 of

the 50 Gram Panchayats targeted were able to achieve

a 100% ODF status. Addressing the last mile, while

being human resource intensive, is essential to

achieving SBM's overall goal of nationwide ODF

status.

Thus, by supporting innovative solutions to a range of

impediments in access to toilets and multi-stakeholder

interventions, Arghyam's work resulted in increased

sanitation coverage through the effective

implementation of SBM.

Arghyam fostered and supported government

collaboration in several ways, seeing this as a vital

step for its partners to achieve scale. Government has

the financial resources, while CSOs and Community

Based Organisations (CBOs) have the human

resources, as well as linkages with communities and

their confidence and trust. Arghyam promoted

engagement with government and civil society as a

sustainable, cost-effective method of programme

implementation. In the process, the government also

stood to benefit from the human resources and

technical expertise those credible institutions brought

to the table. Organisations played the role of technical

resource institutes to build capacities and improve

government engagement with communities, thereby

substantially increasing the scale and effectiveness of

operations (Figure 22).

Gramalaya acted as a resource agency to build

government capacity through the National Institute for

Water and Sanitation (NIWAS). It included Pudhu

Vaazhvu Project (PVP) officials under programmes like

National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), MaKaMai

personnel and CPs to conduct outreach and monitor

toilet construction.

Engagement with Government to

Demonstrate Effective SBM

Implementation

Through Gandhigram, Arghyam supported and

encouraged joint implementation of the SBM

programme. Gandhigram engaged with government

from panchayat to district levels in various capacities.

They ensured that Community Persons (CPs) were

incentivized and motivated to generate community

awareness. Simultaneously, Gandhigram ensured

supply of trained personnel at district and block levels

to process SBM incentives, thus enabling households

to construct, maintain and use better quality toilets.

Centre of Gravity and Final Mile demonstrated to

district government officials the need for professional


expertise in research and communications to create

tailored messages aimed at behaviour change for

toilet construction and use respectively.

Thus, through promoting effective partnerships,

Arghyam was able to successfully demonstrate ways

of collaboration with all levels of government to add

value to the SBM programme. Another enabler in this

process was convergence with programmes like

MGNREGA to increase human resources needed for

With the expertise of Gramener, decentralized

sanitation data was made easily accessible and

comprehensible for districts and states to plan and

monitor sanitation outcomes. Visuals helped

demystify sanitation data, making it easy to

understand at a glance the progress being made by

states and districts at any given point in time. The

visualisation of NBA data was presented to MDWS,

which influenced the way sanitation data was

presented both then and later in the live SBM

dashboard.

71


outreach, and accessing finance through sanitation

loans from PVP, a government poverty alleviation

programme. In all instances, Arghyam supported its

partners so that they did not require operational

funding from the government. This helped

organisations retain their autonomy, while enabling

them to support the government in achieving its SBM

targets.

Arghyam supported innovative solutions designed

specifically to address local needs and take into

account the cultural and geographical contexts of

communities within which they worked (Figure 23).

Some initiatives designed new methodologies of

educating communities on toilet use and

maintenance. Others helped create innovative human

resource solutions by building layers of personnel as

conduits between community and government and

Innovations that Addressed Sanitation

Bottlenecks

Figure 22: Collaboration Between

Government and CSOs

Gramalaya as a resource institution built government capacity to increase coverage of and implement SBM

Centre of Gravity and Final Mile demonstrated the effective use of SBM's IEC component to engineer behaviour change

Data visualisation for NBA by Gramener allowed for better presentation of data on the state of sanitation, an idea later adopted by SBM

Arghyam's direct funding mechanisms enabled CSOs to retain their autonomy

Gandhigram provided additional human resources, coordinated effective disbursal of incentives, promoted demand generation and provided training, especially on appropriate toilet design

Centre of

Excellence

Behaviour

Change

Demystification

of NBA Data

Enabling

Relations

with

Government Enhancing

Government

Processes


72


Innovative BCC methods that focussed on emotional

triggers rather than the standard rational messaging

around health and sanitation outcomes distinguished

the Final Mile and Centre of Gravity strategies. These

triggers drew their messaging based on ethnographic

research conducted on the local, cultural and social

contexts of communities. Because the Behavioural

Change Communication (BCC) campaign spoke

directly to local communities, it was able to generate

demand for toilet construction more effectively.

activating grassroots sanitation functionaries. These

initiatives created social capital which positively

impacted the uptake of SBM.

Technological innovation was supported by

collaborating with CSOs to develop toilet designs that

addressed difficult environments and terrains or the

lack of space. Partners such as MYRADA, SEVA

Mandir, Gandhigram, Gramalaya and BJUP moved

beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, tailoring Ecosan

and shallow water table toilet technologies and

systems to maintain community or group toilets to

specific geographies, contexts and requirements.

In government, there is a paucity of human resources

and expertise in the areas of both toilet technologies

and behavioural change facilitators. Innovative human

resource strategies were supported to intensify the

SBM work required in communities. To address this,

Gandhigram hired Women Cluster Facilitators (WCFs)

from within the community to train and support

sanitation frontline workers. They motivated and

trained CPs, the foot soldiers of SBM, to ensure their

payments. This in turn motivated CPs to actively raise

awareness and purposefully work as a bridge between

government and the community.

Arghyam supported CSOs to evolve easy access, need-

based financing mechanisms to provide gap financing

for IHHL construction. Whether through revolving

funds for the poor, or microfinance credit for those

who could afford improved toilet designs and better

facilities, these financial mechanisms served to

increase access.

This range of innovations allowed for the development

of new technologies and remedies, a risk that Arghyam

was willing to undertake to create solutions where

Figure 23: Sanitation Innovation

Centre of Gravity

and Final Mile

demonstrated

customised BCC

methods for use

of SBM's IEC

component

Communications

MYRADA, SEVA

Mandir,

Gandhigram,

Gramalaya and

BJUP expanded the

toilet options

available, leading to

increased coverage

Technical

Gandhigram and

Gramalaya used

community

resources to enable

construction, use

and maintenance of

toilets

Human Resources

Gandhigram used a

revolving fund &

Gramalaya

introduced micro

credit systems to

get past the initial

cost of toilet

construction

Finance

U


73


Engineering Behaviour Change

Community collaboration and participation is of

paramount importance in creating ownership and

sustainability of sanitation initiatives. This is heavily

dependent on the sanitation workforce, whose role is

to sensitise the community on the importance of

cleanliness and risks associated with poor hygiene.

The sanitation workforce, at its core, is made up of

grassroots functionaries of SBM and other

government programmes. They must be properly

trained, supported, incentivised and updated on

sanitation programmes, benefits, practices and

procedures in order to effectively carry out their

responsibilities and ensure that SBM is successfully

implemented.

Employment opportunities can be created by involving

locals and members from self-help groups (SHGs) in

water, sanitation and hygiene activities such as waste

collection, composting, maintenance of community

toilets and building community awareness to generate

demand for better sanitation practices and facilities.

This will build long term sustainability by creating

community ownership and generating employment.

Generation of Demand

Building awareness within the community and

facilitating access using an entitlement approach is

another promising way of mobilisation to generate

demand. Equally important for effective

implementation is ensuring supply efficiencies

through building institutional commitment and

capacity to respond to the growing demand for SBM

entitlements.

they did not exist and address fundamental

roadblocks to the adoption of improved water,

sanitation and hygiene practices.

Using research-based findings to create effective BCC

strategies customised to the local context has proven

to be effective in promoting both construction and

Way Forward

Upfront finance is indispensable for households who

do not have the financial capacity to build IHHLs, since

SBM can only reimburse households after

construction. To meet this need, planning flexible,

Strong and Equal Partnerships with

Government

Accessible Finance

use. Based on ethnographic research, different

communication approaches were designed that used

positive emotional triggers directed towards making

men invest in toilets, while building on the latent

demand for toilets from women. The Jaldi Campaign

designed by Centre of Gravity, emphasizing

government commitment to releasing SBM incentives

in 20 days, helped overcome barriers and amplified

motivational triggers. Further, Final Mile designed

research-based behavioural nudges to engineer

behavioural change around toilet use.

Strong partnerships between government and credible

CSOs ensure the efficient implementation of SBM

through the latter's expertise in water, sanitation and

hygiene, reach within and trust of communities, and

the additional human resources which SBM currently

lacks. In order to perform independently, the

mechanism promoted by Arghyam that retains the

CSOs' financial autonomy, a best practice in

collaboration, can be used by Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) programmes in the future.

Financial autonomy from government is vital for the

CSOs' ability to demand transparency and hold the

government accountable.

While government departments have promoted

convergence around SBM, CSOs have helped

operationalize this engagement by putting in place

systems and processes. For instance, convergence

with programmes like MGNREGA can provide labour

for outreach and monitoring, while NRLM can provide

credit mechanisms for sanitation loans and Nal Jal

Yojana can ensure water connections for sustainable

use of toilets.


74


To address last mile issues, moving beyond a

standardised approach to case-by-case interventions

proved more effective in achieving ODF status.

Concerted efforts to address the sanitation

constraints of each household allow the voices and

needs of the most marginalised to be heard and

Monitoring and planning requires that data be not only

available, but accessible to all stakeholders engaged

in sanitation such as national and local government,

district line departments, CSOs and local communities.

Visual presentation can pave the way for meaningful

analysis of information by providing timely data on the

status of sanitation and on financial and physical

progress at district, state and national levels.

Reaching the Last Mile

Government can only scale up methods that are

proven to be effective, as they are accountable for

public funds. CSO and CSR stakeholders have the

expertise, technology and resources to innovate and

test sanitation solutions. CSOs have a comprehensive

understanding of community needs and can identify

areas requiring innovation. CSR and other donors can,

in turn, support CSOs to break new ground and create

solutions for geographies and communities where

standard approaches have failed. The promotion of

innovative sanitation solutions and involvement of

government at the onset will allow mainstreaming and

scaling up of these solutions.

Data Visualisation

affordable and accessible sanitation credit

mechanisms for communities should be an important

agenda for public and private financial institutions.

These financial mechanisms can allow for higher

quality toilets, with additional facilities such as areas

for bathing or washing clothes, construction of shared

septic tanks, as well as appropriate toilet designs

based on geography.

Promoting Innovation

Key Messages

l The need to promote financial practices that

encourage implementing priority sector lending for

sanitation

addressed. Towards this end, it is important to

address the barriers of stigma and discrimination that

prevent the marginalized from accessing and using

improved sanitation practices and facilities.

l The importance of professional expertise within civil

society on toilet technologies, community

mobilisation, financial mechanisms and BCC

methods to improve, sanitation outcomes through

better implementation of SBM

l The need for innovative human resource strategies

l The importance of addressing the last mile through

deploying the time and effort needed to provide

individualized attention to addressing needs

l The need for government collaboration with civil

society for effective implementation of SBM by

enhancing government capacity to achieve

sanitation goals

Key policy messages that have emerged from these

interventions and that can help state and district

governments and other sanitation stakeholders are:

l The use and importance of demystifying data

through accessible visual methods that allow easy

comparison of sanitation data between states,

districts and panchayats

l The need to effectively change behaviour by

developing research-driven communication

strategies with professional inputs


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Baselines, 2017. [Online] Switzerland: WHO & UNICEF, p.37. Available at:

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Chapter 3 Partnerships Between Government and Civil Society


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Chapter 6 Toilet Options: Sanitation Solutions for Different Needs

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Chapter 4 Toilet Usage and Maintenance

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Chapter 7 Reaching the Last Mile

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Chapter 8 Beyond Toilets: Solid and Liquid Waste Management

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Chapter 9 Visualising the State of Sanitation


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Glossary

78

Acronyms and Explanations

Anganwadi Government rural child care centre

ASHA Accredited Social Health Activist

AWASH Association for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

BCC Behavioural Change Communication

BDO Block Development Officer

Bharat Nirman Volunteers Volunteers working for the Ministry of Rural Development

BLC Block Level Committee

BPL Below Poverty Line

BPO Block Project Officer

BRLP Bihar Rural Livelihood Project

BRLPS Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society

CBO Community Based Organisation

CEO Chief Executive Officer

CLTS Community Led Total Sanitation

CMRC Community Managed Resource Centre

CMT Community Managed Toilets

CP Community Person

Crore Ten million

CSO Civil Society Organisation

CSR Corporate Social Responsibility

CSTF City Sanitation Task Force

CTRG Community Technical Resource Group

DPM District Programme Manager

DRDA District Rural Development Agency


Glossary

79

Ecosan Ecological Sanitation

FGD Focused Group Discussion

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GP Gram Panchayat

GT Gandhigram Trust

GUARDIAN Gramalaya Urban and Rural Development Initiatives and Network

GVC Gram Vikas Committee

HR Human Resource

IEC Information, Education and Communication

HH Household

IHHL Individual Household Latrine

INR Indian Rupee

IPC Inter Personal Communication

ISC Integrated Sanitary Complex

Jan Sangathan People's collective

Jan Sathis Grassroots activist leaders from the community

Jeevikas Women government employees who are given targets of building toilets in the community

JEEViKA Local name of the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project (BRLP)

JLG Joint Liability Group

Lakh One hundred thousand

LBM Lok Bikas Manch

MaKaMai Makkal Katram Maiyyam/Magamai

MDWS Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation

MFI Microfinance Institution

MGNREGA Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act


Glossary

80

Mukhiya Village head

NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development

Nal Jal Yojana Government programme providing tap water to households

NBA Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan

NGO Non-governmental Organisation

NIC National Informatics Centre

NIWAS National Institute for Water and Sanitation

NRLM National Rural Livelihood Mission

NSS National Service Scheme

Nukkad natak Street play

ODF Open Defecation Free

OSM Odisha Shrama Jeebi Manch

Palli Sabha Gram Sabha or village committee

Patta Official government document on land ownership

PDO Panchayat Development Official

PHED Public Health Engineering Department

PIA Programme Implementing Agency

PRI Panchayati Raj Institution

PLF Panchayat Level Federation (a village-level financing entity)

PVP Pudhu Vaazhvu Project

RBI Reserve Bank of India

RDPR Rural Development and Panchayati Raj

RF Revolving Fund

RWSS Rural Water Supply and Sanitation

SAG Self-help Affinity Group


Glossary

81

Sarpanch Elected head of the village panchayat

SBM Swachh Bharat Mission

SD Swachhata Doot

SHE Sanitation and Hygiene Education

SHG Self-help Group

SJS Shrama Jeebi Sangathan

SLWM Solid and Liquid Waste Management

SM Sanitary Messengers

Swachhata Doot Community Person

Swachhagrahi Community Person

SWM Solid Waste Management

Taluk Block of villages, an administrative unit

TCC Tiruchirappalli City Corporation

Thooimai Kavalars Sanitation workers hired to collect waste

ToT Training of Trainers

TSC Total Sanitation Campaign

UN United Nations

UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund

UP Uttar Pradesh

VHSC Village Health and Sanitation Committee

VPRC Village Poverty Reduction Committee

VWMC Village Water Management Committee

WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

WATSAN Water and Sanitation

WAVE Women's Action for Village Empowerment


Glossary

82

WCF Women Cluster Facilitators

Zilla Parishad or Zilla Panchayat District council

Organisations

Atmashakti NGO working for poor families, mainly in rural and urban Odisha

Bhartiya Jan Utthan Parishad

(BJUP)

Bihar-based NGO working for holistic social development

Centre of Gravity (CoG) Bengaluru-based consulting firm

Final Mile Mumbai-based consulting firm

Gandhigram Trust (GT) or

Gandhigram

Tamil Nadu-based NGO, whose work is based on the principles of Mahatma Gandhi

Gramalaya NGO working in the fields of water, sanitation and hygiene

Gramener A data science company

Support for Network and

Extension Help Agency

(SNEHA)

NGO working mainly in the Ramnagara district of Karnataka in the fields of livelihood, sanitation, education

and organic farming

Indian Development

Organisation Trust (INDO)

Tamil Nadu-based NGO working to attain millennium development goals with community involvement and

participation

Association for Natural

Resources Management and

National Integrated

Improvement (ANNAI/Annai)

Trust

NGO working to execute sustainable water and sanitation projects in South India and Bihar

Mysore Resettlement and

Development Agency

(MYRADA/Myrada)

Karnataka-based NGO working to build and strengthen local institutions

SEVA Mandir Grassroots NGO working in Udaipur, Rajasthan for over 50 years


Facebook: bestpracticesfoundation

Tel: +91-80-41124545

Best Practices Foundation

Flat 3C/2C Santosh Apartments,

Palmgrove Road, Victoria Layout

Email: [email protected]

www.bestpracticesfoundation.org

Bangalore - 560 047, Karnataka, India.

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