Government's initiative to conduct a survey to collect comprehensive data about availability of toilet facilities in panchayat areas across the State is a step in the right direction keeping in mind the objective of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. However, there needs to be a more holistic approach if the government intends to seriously wipe out open defecation from Goa.
The survey in rural Goa alone will not help the purpose. Open defecation has raised its ugly head in urban areas too and has been happening right in the heart of the cities, including Panaji. Goa has been short on necessary infrastructure. There is a huge mismatch with the facilities provided and the people. A case in point would be the single toilet block at Panaji bus stand where thousands of people from all spheres of life walk in and out. When there are no adequate facilities, you can't expect the fight against open defecation to succeed.
Government's sanitation survey which is centered around villages, should also consider the state of government-sanctioned Sulabh toilets. These toilets have been in bad shape and many have been reduced to storerooms due to the substandard construction material used. Besides, there have been no mechanisms in place for maintenance or major repairs of such sulabhs. With government planning to go into an overdrive with thousands more such sulabhs in the pipeline, there is an urgent need for review followed by corrective measures.
The Directorate of Panchayats along with the District Rural Development Agency will conduct this survey of sanitation facilities in panchayat areas and are expected to come up with data by December. The aim is to ensure that there are toilet facilities in every Goan household. This move is reasonable, but the government should also look at building public toilets in key areas in all villages. Open defecation is not restricted only at residences. With the influx of migrant population and workforce from other States, we need to look beyond just houses and must consider building public toilet facilities in every village. Land has to be identified and acquired. Government can't sit with land acquisition issues. There has to be a solution worked out.
A proposal to use bio-digestible KTC buses as mobile toilets in crowded residential areas is an innovative move, but there has been no headway since the proposal was mooted recently. There has to be follow up action. The intentions may be good, but the implementation has always faltered. We need to look at the longer term while tackling open defecation. Uttarakhand and rural Haryana along with Sikkim, Himachal Prasdesh and Kerala are the five states that have declared themselves Open Defecation Free. If Goa has to join this elite group, a lot of ground needs to be covered and in quick time.
