The Uttar Pradesh government aims to make 30 districts in the state open defecation free (ODF) by December this year. And by the end of 2018, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has promised to declare the entire state ODF.
However, in its rush to meet the deadlines, the district administration is building toilets that can barely be used by the villagers. Poor quality construction material, incomplete structures, and the lack of water or a drainage system ultimately forces people to relieve themselves in the open.
In October this year, 101 village heads in the Bulandshahr district were awarded certificates for doing a good job in building toilets in their respective villages. Gesupur, two hours away from Delhi, is among the villages that were honoured. However, The Quint conducted a surprise spot check to find that the reality was vastly different.
Most of the toilets that have been built in Gesupur over the past one and one and a half years are either in terrible shape or have no water or tanks inside.
People use these toilets as storerooms, or keep them locked.
The Quint found that while one house has been provided with three toilets, there are some houses without even a single toilet.
Men and women alike are forced to go to the forest or field nearby to defecate. Simply building toilets will not solve the menace of open defecation. The Swachh Bharat Mission faces two-pronged challenge of ensuring hygiene and tackling behavioural resistance. Several villagers say they go out into the fields to defecate out of sheer habit.
The onus, then, is on the administration, who must work to spread awareness about the use of toilets. More importantly, the administration must build toilets that are complete and are in usable condition.
The head of Gesupur village refused to speak to The Quint. Villagers alleged that the husband handles administrative tasks but does not pay heed to their complaints. The village pradhan’s husband insisted that all toilets in the village had been completely constructed.
The Chief Development Officer says although these villages have declared themselves Open Defecation Free and have been awarded for their efforts, the verification process might take a while.
Camera Person: Shiv Kumar Maurya
Video Editor: Rahul Sanpui
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