Village finally says no to open defecation
Community-led total sanitation was the first step NGOs took to change mindset of villagers
Bright yellow wall paintings at almost all congregation points, with anti-open defecation slogans meet the eye as soon as one enters Mujasa, a small village in Mallihabad tehsil, at a distance of 26km from the state capital.
However, Mujasa’s claim to fame is not the fancy paintings but the fact that it is to be the first and lone village in the state capital to attain the status of open defecation free (ODF) village.
According to panchayati raj officials, the village would get the ODF status in a grand ceremony scheduled in May this year. “It’s indeed a moment of pride for all of us. Other than the officers, including DM and CDOs’ who camped in our village, I am thankful to the hundreds of volunteers and NGOs who left no stone unturned in transforming the village,” said Mohammed Miyan, village head of Mujasa.
Mujasa’s transformation began in September last year, when as a part of Swaccha Baharat Mission, the panchayati department launched a drive with the help of an international NGO WaterAid India and citybased NGO Vatsalya.
Other than Mujasa, the department and NGOs had also shortlisted 7 gram panchayat from the 7 blocks of the district in the first phase. These included gram panchayat Raipur from Mall block, Mujasa from Malihabad, Mangtaiyaa from Mohanlalganj, Papnamau from Chinhat, Dighoi from Bakshi ka Talaab, Makdampur from Sarojninagar and Begariyamau from Gosainganj. In all the 7 shortlisted blocks, there are around 17 villages.
But Mujasa took the lead, when it came to making the villages ODF.
The transformation of Mujasa, according to NGOs, was not an easy task. “Our volunteers and the dedicated officers worked day and night to make the village free of open defecation,” said Anjali Tripathy, programme coordinator, UP WaterAid in India.
Community led total sanitation (CLTS) was the first step the NGOs took to change the behaviour of the villagers who seemed more ‘comfortable in the fields’ than relieving themselves in the ‘pucca’ toilets the panchayati raj department constructed under the mission. “It was about changing their mindset and behaviour as they were used to going to the fields since ages. CLTS turned out to be the major tool in changing the mindset. There are toilets in almost all houses but the villagers were not using them,” said Anjali.
There are 500 plus houses in Mujasa, that has a population of around 3,200. A majority of the houses already had toilets and in the remaining 200 houses, the department recently got around toilets constructed. Other than these, the department is also constructing around 80 septic tanks to cater to the needs of the villagers.
The NGOs that started counselling work as early as 4 am, shortlisted a vigilance squad among the villagers. “It was aimed at keeping a check on those defecating in the open, despite toilets at home,” Anjali told HT. Other than counselling, the squad was also trained to adopt other ways to check open defecation. One of them was to raise an alarm by blowing a whistle or to call them by their names, apart from other ways to tackle the villagers psychologically.
A member of the vigilance squad recounted how he faced stiff resistance from fellow villagers for stopping them from defecating in the open. “I was amazed when one of the villagers turned violent after he was stopped from defecating in the open. A few also called us antisocial elements. But as it was all for our own good, I continued to be a part of the team,” the team member said.
The NGOs also carried out awareness campaigns in the village, telling the people how dangerous open defecation was and how it could lead to fatal diseases. They also observed Hand Washing Day, Water Day and Women’s Day in the village to educate the populace.
And so, after almost eight months of labour, things eventually began to change. In the most recent inspection of district magistrate and other officers, the village was certified as 100 per cent complying village. “But it is yet to be declared as ODF village officially,” said Prashant Sharma, CDO, Lucknow.
Sharma said Mujasa was under a month-long observation, after which it would be declared as ODF village. “As a token of appreciation for this special initiative, the district administration has also announced `5 lakh for its development from critical gap fund. In the drive, NGO Vatsalya and its team played a leading role, hence we are also announcing `1 lakh cash prize for them,” said Sharma.
Officials said another gram panchayat Papnamau from Chinhat block was also approaching ODF status.
Other gram panchayats too would be included in the programme in future to make all the villages open defecation free.