If ever you get a chance of driving through villages on a road trip in India, one of the common sight that you come across is the problem of poor sanitation, especially widespread open defecation. It is an irony that being one of the fastest growing economies in the world that a majority of our rural population still have bare minimum sanitation facilities. While most rural population had access to mobile phones, they have less access to a toilet.
There are many programmes by the government and NGO’s big and small who are involved in constructing toilets which are economical and child friendly.But still, it needs a massive reach. Rural India needs not just toilets but toilets that are eco-friendly and have funds for maintenance.
As a resident of Bangalore, In the late 90’s I have seen corporate comapnies engaging with the then Government run by SM Krishna in a programme called Bangalore agenda task forward.(BATF). Many corporate companies like Biocon, wipro, infosys and others came together to beautify and keep the city clean. One of the corporate company’s initiative(Infosys) was the Nirmala shauchalay which built many public toilets across the cities. A couple of years later the toilets were vandalized and fell into poor maintenance.
So, the need is not just for toilets but eco-friendly toilets keeping in mind the climate, water, space, maintenance etc.
Recently South Indian cameraman, director and social actvist Suresh menon has designed and built a prototype of a toilet by using an old shipping container.He has designed 5 bathrooms in each 20 feet by 8 feet container in which over 100 women could use it a day. These are strong, sturdy and easily transportable and is a green model using solar panel on the roof for electricity. The waste disposal is through an existing sewage mains, or discharged into a biotank like in Kerala house boats. The water source is either borewell or tankers. The sides of the unit could be used as an advertising hoarding to generate revenue for maintenance.
Such facilities could be useful and easy to maintain considering factors like water, space etc. It also gives rural women and urban poor women and children dignity and self respect.
Also there are many NGO’s which come up with innovative design models, catchy slogans and media campaigns educating the rural masses about the usage of such toilets.
A recent survey states that No separate toilet for girls is among the top potential factors that leads to high school dropout rates for girls.
It may be squeamish or make us angry to see scores of women, children and even men crouched secretly across fields or in open spaces. I felt as a responsible citizen, I need to support such causes & initiatives taken by Domex and blog about it rather than getting angry.
There are many programmes by the government and NGO’s big and small who are involved in constructing toilets which are economical and child friendly.But still, it needs a massive reach. Rural India needs not just toilets but toilets that are eco-friendly and have funds for maintenance.
As a resident of Bangalore, In the late 90’s I have seen corporate comapnies engaging with the then Government run by SM Krishna in a programme called Bangalore agenda task forward.(BATF). Many corporate companies like Biocon, wipro, infosys and others came together to beautify and keep the city clean. One of the corporate company’s initiative(Infosys) was the Nirmala shauchalay which built many public toilets across the cities. A couple of years later the toilets were vandalized and fell into poor maintenance.
So, the need is not just for toilets but eco-friendly toilets keeping in mind the climate, water, space, maintenance etc.
Recently South Indian cameraman, director and social actvist Suresh menon has designed and built a prototype of a toilet by using an old shipping container.He has designed 5 bathrooms in each 20 feet by 8 feet container in which over 100 women could use it a day. These are strong, sturdy and easily transportable and is a green model using solar panel on the roof for electricity. The waste disposal is through an existing sewage mains, or discharged into a biotank like in Kerala house boats. The water source is either borewell or tankers. The sides of the unit could be used as an advertising hoarding to generate revenue for maintenance.
Such facilities could be useful and easy to maintain considering factors like water, space etc. It also gives rural women and urban poor women and children dignity and self respect.
Also there are many NGO’s which come up with innovative design models, catchy slogans and media campaigns educating the rural masses about the usage of such toilets.
A recent survey states that No separate toilet for girls is among the top potential factors that leads to high school dropout rates for girls.
It may be squeamish or make us angry to see scores of women, children and even men crouched secretly across fields or in open spaces. I felt as a responsible citizen, I need to support such causes & initiatives taken by Domex and blog about it rather than getting angry.
About The Domex Toilet Academy
Domex, HUL’s flagship sanitation brand, currently runs the Domex Toilet Academy (DTA) programme. Domex Toilet Academy was launched on 19th November 2013. It aims to become a sustainable and long-term solution to provide sanitation that benefits the local community and helps stimulate the local economy. The Toilet Academy makes toilets accessible and affordable, while promoting the benefits of clean toilets & good hygiene. Our effort has resulted in bringing the change in the villages of Maharashtra and Orissa and we aim to build 24000 toilets by 2015 in rural areas faced with the problem of open defecation.
You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.
Domex, HUL’s flagship sanitation brand, currently runs the Domex Toilet Academy (DTA) programme. Domex Toilet Academy was launched on 19th November 2013. It aims to become a sustainable and long-term solution to provide sanitation that benefits the local community and helps stimulate the local economy. The Toilet Academy makes toilets accessible and affordable, while promoting the benefits of clean toilets & good hygiene. Our effort has resulted in bringing the change in the villages of Maharashtra and Orissa and we aim to build 24000 toilets by 2015 in rural areas faced with the problem of open defecation.
You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.
Wow! Kudos to Mr Menon for designing innovative and eco-friendly toilets for the people who are deprived of his basic human need still.More power to him and may the Bablis of our country have access to safer and dignified way of living!!
ReplyDeleteyes, shilpa. That is an appreciable and laudable effort by Mr. Menon. It has to be implemented and maintained successfully. Hope the dignity of every babli and even bablu is restored.
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