A PROGRAM TO CONSTRUCT ONE LAKH INDIVIDUAL SANITARY LATRINES IN ONE MONTH IN NIZAMABAD DISTRICT

A very ambitious program to construct “one lakh Individual Sanitary Latrines in one month” was started in Nizamabad district from 3rd June,2002. In the last one year the district administration has embarked on an intensive drive to improve “the quality of life” of the people in Nizamabad. Due to the intensive and concerted efforts taken by the district administration, the district stood first in achieving the Family Planning sterilization target in the year 2001-2002 and was the first in the rankings based on performance indicators given by the Medical & Health Department for the month of April,2002. Vailpur Mandal in the district achieved distinction of being the first Mandal in the state to achieve 100% enrolment of school age children on 2nd October,2001. Another eight mandals have also achieved 100% enrolment. To prevent child labor, a program by name “Balya Raksha” has also been launched in the district. 276 schools were provided with compound walls, bores and toilets and another 789 schools with toilets in the last academic year. 1168 Habitation level District Water committees were formed in the district to ensure participatory management of drinking water distribution. In continuation of these efforts, “Subhrata”- was conceived.

“Subhrata” was started during the 17th round of Janma Bhoomi which started on 1st June, 2002. In the teleconference held on 3rd June, 2002, the Nodal teams were asked to identify eligible BPL beneficiaries in Gram Sabhas, sanction ISL and to get the work started at the end of every Gram Sabha. The Panchayat Secretaries were made responsible for the implementation of the program. They were given training to give mark outs for starting the works. Printed pamphlets giving technical and other details of the scheme were distributed in every gram sabha. Villagers were requested to take up bath cum latrines or just latrines as per their choice. Models were also constructed in every mandal offices to give an idea to them. By the time 17th round Janma Bhoomi was over on June 10th, about 49,000 ISLs were sanctioned in the district.

The scheme:

As per the scheme families in the rural areas and are Below Poverty Line (BPL) are eligible for taking up Individual Sanitary Latrines (ISLs) under the Total Sanitation Program of the Central Government. 1,44,444 ISLs have been sanctioned to the district under the scheme. As per the revised guidelines, the beneficiaries will be given Rs 750 and 200 Kgs of rice for completing the ISL. The rice has been tied up from the Food For Work program.

In Nizamabad, the beneficiaries were encouraged to take up a “bath cum latrine” structure to get twin advantage of having a bathroom and a toilet. This has found a positive response from the women who were feeling shy about the invasion of their privacy every day when they were forced to go out in the open for defecating and taking bath. A detailed estimate accommodating these two structures was prepared and pamphlets printed in telugu by the RWS department. The cost of the structure worked out to be about approximately Rs 2100.

The administrative/technical set up:

At the District Level the project is taken up under the direct supervision of the District Collector with technical guidance of Superintending Engineer (RWS). At the Mandal Level the Nodal Officers are kept overall incharge. The power to sanction the units was delegated to MDOs at the mandal level. Gram Panchayats in a mandal were divided between MDOs & MROs for close monitoring. Panchayat Secretaries were made responsible for the actual implementation and monitoring of the program at the village level. Technical support is given by A.Es. of RWS, Panchayat Raj and Housing department. The task of motivating people was entrusted to all NGOs working with the School Sanitation program, Total Sanitation Program and National Child Labour Project, ANMs, Anganwadi workers, MRPs, etc.

Every alternate day, starting from 3rdJune,2002 Teleconference or wireless conference was conducted by the Collector with the Nodal Officers/ MROs & MDOs. In these conferences detailed information as to the number of sanctions given (SC, ST, Others & Total), stages of completion (Pit, wall, roof levels, total completion) was collected, analyzed and problems sorted out. Special meetings with Nodal Officer and MDOs were also held to get regular feed back and to give them technical guidance.

Steps taken:

Revenue division wise meetings with the Panchayat Secretaries/MPPs/ MPTCs/ ZPTCs were conducted. Hon’ble Minister for Panchayati Raj addressed the participants in these meetings. Secretary to Government, RD department participated in the meeting at Nizamabad. Meetings were held on 13th June morning at Nizamabad and afternoon at Bodhan and on 14th June at Kamareddy. After these meetings the tempo of the program picked up reaching a crescendo in the 3rd and 4th week of June,2002.

Before embarking on this program, on 2nd June a brain storming session was conducted with all those concerned with this program in the Collector’s chamber. A detailed plan of action was prepared working out the resource and technical requirements and identifying various bottlenecks that are likely to come up in executing the program. Strategies to tackle these were discussed. The problems identified as likely to crop up were shortage of rings, pans etc, and inadequate number of masons to take up the works, exploitation by masons/ring makers/material suppliers due to the spurt in demand. Motivating people to take up the work was a bigger challenge.

To motivate people, women folk were primarily targeted. They were made to feel the necessity of protecting their self-pride (Atma-Gauravam) and privacy. A meeting was called on 8th June 2002 with all the NGOs working with the UNICEF assisted School Sanitation Program. NGOs were asked to take up the campaign in the 200 villages where bore, toilets and compound wall were constructed in the last seven months (from October 2001). The ANMs and Health supervisors of Health department, Angan Wadi Workers (AWWs) were asked to take up the campaign as hygiene and sanitation has a direct bearing on their job. Mandal Resource Persons (MRPs) of education department were asked to motivate the villagers during their rounds in the villages in their drive for enrolment of school children, which was started in the second week of June. Kalajatha troupes were pressed into act.

A technical committee headed by Collector with Joint Collector, SE (RWS), District Manager (Housing), DMHO, EE (PR) as members was formed. Statewide tenders from the manufacturers of cement and pans were called and this helped in reducing the rates of ceramics pans from about Rs.200-300 to Rs.120-150 range. The short-listed companies were asked to display the (8) selected models coded A, B,C to H in every MDO office so that villagers can select the pan of their choice. This cafeteria approach was to bring in transparency and to give the beneficiaries chance to make their own choice according to their ability. The cement companies were also requested to reduce the rates of the cement.

The biggest bottleneck however was the shortage of rings as well as the paucity of masons for taking up construction in such large numbers. MDOs/MROs were asked to identify all the Tapi Mestries in the mandal and request them to supply rings in the range of Rs.40-60. To avoid breakages and to reduce cost of transportation, the masons were encouraged to come to villages itself to cast the rings and cement bricks. This in-situ casting of rings helped in reducing cost and to sustain the momentum in the villages. In the mandals bordering other districts/states, the people were asked to procure rings and get services of masons from the neighboring districts/states. People in Bhiknoor, Domakonda procured materials from Medak district, those of Kammarpally /Morthad from Karimnagar district, those from Balkonda/Nandipet from Adilabad district and Bodhan/Madnoor/Jukkal from Maharashtra state. The District Manager (Housing) was asked to manufacture and supply rings from the three Nirmitha Kendras at Bodhan, Kamareddy & Nizamabad. To overcome the shortage of moulds to make rings, Superintending Engineer (RWS) was asked to prepare (72) moulds @ 2 per mandal at a cost of Rs 1,000/- per piece. These moulds were kept at the mandal offices to be given to villagers who are coming to cast the rings on their own. These steps were to help to overcome shortage of rings.

Further where the soil is hard, the number of rings required in a pit was reduced from six to two or three. Depending upon soil structure the beneficiaries permitted to do brick lining instead of rings. To hasten up the pace of work, the beneficiaries were asked to take up the construction of the room without waiting for the rings for the pits.

The program has evoked tremendous response from public. As on 1st September,2002, ie in just about 86 days from the launch of “Subrata” 1,05,509 sanctions have been given, out of which 87227 are at various stages of completion: 70102 completed in full shape, 7382 are at pit level, 3142 at ring level, 1791 at basement level, 2751 at wall stage and 2059 at roof level!

Perhaps this is the first time in the country that in such a short time such a large number of individual sanitary latrines have been constructed under a government scheme.

A completed individual sanitary latrine cum toilet