A Swachh Bharat failure: An overdose of ODFs but people still use the fields for a loo

With duplication of toilet construction lists and the poor state of those meant to be in use, villagers are still forced to defecate in the open.

WrittenBy:Khabar Lahariya
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Akhilesh Kumar is the block coordinator of the Swacch Bharat Mission of Banda district’s Badokhar Khurd block. He is young and charming, has a disarming stutter, and exudes a moving drive when it comes to defecation-related development in his block.

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Kumar says that their aim is to make the block Open Defecation Free (ODF) by March 2018, clearly Kumar’s favourite word. “Already,” he says, “7 revenue villages and 2 gram panchayats have been made ‘ODF’. Soon, 5 more panchayats will be made ‘ODF’.”

Hesounded so effective that we couldn’t wait to breathe in the air of an ODF village. So we set off for Mathna Kheda village—around 5 km from the block headquarters by tempo, and then another 3 on foot—that had been declared shauch mukt (shorthand that we cannot help but giggle at, each and every time it comes up) – Open Defecation Free.

Step 1 of dismantling the ODF propaganda: Spot the lota.

Rampyari, an elderly woman in a sari which had a burst of flowers bounded by red stripes, said there’s no toilet in her house. And it’s no fun, she said, because good social norm says, when a man passes by, a lady’s expected to stand up, whether she’s defecating or not. Rampyari finds that a bit much, so doesn’t get up.

Ram Prakash, another resident, said, “I live here, some people have toilets in their homes, some don’t. They take their lotas and go out.”

Ramesh Kumar, a man of numbers, said, “it’s clear 20 per cent of the village” goes out defecate. He’s “100 per cent sure” of this. When we questioned him about who these 20 per cent were (it’s what we call a trick question), he caught on.

“Men, women, children – everyone.  We had an open meeting in the village on the July 11, and some people’s names were written down [who did not have toilets in their homes]. Let’s see, maybe they’ll get [them] made… I don’t think they will.”

Rajrani is a woman in black and white who can instil fear into any pradhan.“There’s been a toilet in my home since I was married. My son is 16 years old now. Have a look at it – is it in any condition to defecate in? Leaving aside the smallest children, everyone goes out.. My husband doesn’t live here all the time. We go out , and if people pass by, we just pull our saris over our faces. The pradhan told me that we should get the toilet fixed, but I refused. Why should I – shouldn’t he? These NGO workers come and tell us, those who go out to defecate, should eat their faeces. So I asked the pradhan, who should eat it, me or you? Who is the one being dishonest here, me or you? I said it openly.” We like the use of the word, openly.

(Many residents including the pradhan spoke about being rudely awakened at dawn by some NGO workers bent on changing the toilet habits of Mathana Kheda. We couldn’t meet anyone from the said NGO, but we’re on to them.)

Rajrani waved her hand (and we backed off quickly) at the toilet in the background, with a faded curtain failing to hide its poor state.

Step 2: Show how numbers can lie.

According to the Swachh Bharat Mission records, 188 toilets have been built in this village. A good number for a village with 991 registered voters. Until you realise that this is the panchayat’s ‘life time’ record of toilets ever made including those made (and paid for) by individuals with dreams of toilets in their homes or those made under any other scheme of the state government.

Largely these toilets look like storm-ravaged tenements, and no one in their right mind would want to use them. Even the pradhan wants nothing to do with them. Funny then, that they’re counted not only in one, but multiple records for toilet construction. 

Dharmendra, a man with a French beard, aired an opinion that got to the heart of things. “Toilets that have been made in 2011, and the ones that have been made this year, if you look at the lists of people who’ve got them, you’ll see they’re duplicated. The people who had them made in 2011, have been listed in 2016-17 as well. And the ones who are entitled to get toilets, haven’t. They’ve been with petitions to the CDO, to the DM, but nothing has come of it.”

As we panned the village, we realised this to be true. Many toilets sported Swachh Bharat signage clearly painted over older signage marking the date of construction.

Step 3: Corner the pradhan

When we went to visit the pradhan, Ramesh Babu – a chap with a fluorescent saffron saafa – we hit him straight with hard data.

“We’ve heard that 80 per cent people here have toilets and 20 per cent defecate outdoors. Do you agree?” we asked. His gaze wavered, and then dipped down. “Yes, there are 4-5 people who go outdoors. I’ve tried to reason with them, but they don’t listen. Now what to do?” he said narrowing his eyes, adding, “There will be an investigation.”

We were suitably impressed, because let’s face it, pradhans ordering investigations are rare, leave alone those that intend to follow people to the toilet. “What kind of investigation then?” we persisted. “We’ll take it up at the block,” he said, adding, “in cases where people have toilets in their homes and are still going out to defecate.”

“And what if they don’t have toilets?” we asked. “No such thing,” he said, “Oh, yes, there are a few who work outside the village… maybe those don’t have. We’re instructed to just get those toilets built for people who are present.”

When we asked whether more toilets were going to be constructed, he said no, adding that now the village was ODF. Only the faintest pause, and then he added, “For the one or two people who don’t have toilets, we’ll make them and then that’s it.”

A few rounds later, pradhan sahib had grown a distinct sense of confidence.

“Is it true that the lists of people with toilets have been duplicated with those who had already received them?” we asked. “Now this was decided when the ADO (Panchayat) and the secretary had come for a visit. If you want any more information, it’ll be available at the block. I don’t know anything about it,” he said.

Final word then – Pass the buck as always, not my shit to dodge after all.

Khabar Lahariya is a rural, video-first digital news organisation, with an all-women network of reporters in 8 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

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