Sanitation: It’s a Mess here

Sanitation is a very basic human need and is one of the primary drivers of public health, but unfortunately, in India, this facility is beyond the reach of millions of people. If we believe a report published in a leading newspaper, almost 60% of Indians defecate in the open. The condition is poorer in rural areas. In the data released by the NSSO (National Sample Survey Office), only 32% of the rural households have access to sanitation, and almost 1000 children below the age of 5 die every day in India due to diarrhea, hepatitis-causing pathogens, and other sanitation-related diseases.

Poor sanitation not only negatively influences school attendance, especially for girls, but a report published in TIME magazine indicated that it is also the main culprit in the stunting of children in India. According to the World Bank, the sanitation deficit also translates into losses in GDP. The sanitation deficit in India is estimated to cost the country Rs 24,000 crores per year.Another report prepared by Dasra, a strategic philanthropic organization, states that as many as 4,861 of 5,161 cities don’t even have a partial sewerage network.

All the above-mentioned statistics clearly reflect the poor state of sanitation in our country. It is said that "cleanliness is next to godliness," but in a country that is home to so many religions, this hardly stands true. This state of sanitation in India shows the apathy of our governing parties, which never invested in the integrated health public system as a result of which water management, waste disposal, vector control, and sanitation systems still lie in shambles. Our politicians will make all kinds of promises, but how many of them relate to sanitation? Why, as a nation, have we failed to understand the importance of sanitation and its effects? Why, even after so many years of independence, is there no proper management of cleanliness and sanitation? As citizens of this nation, are we still so unaware of the harmful effects this lack of sanitation causes? Our nation is one of the most youthful nations in the world, and the youth have to play a very important role in solving this problem. Awareness programmes should not only be created but should really be taken to every nook and cranny of the country. As responsible citizens, we should also ask our leaders what they are doing in this regard and, if not, demand the same. The government should start implementing those plans, which are still on paper. Entrepreneurs should come up with ideas to bridge this gap, just like "Sulabh Shauchalayas" did. We really need a revolution in sanitation just like the "Green Revolution" did for agriculture, and yes, we definitely need to change a lot on the personal front. Our habits of urinating in the open, spitting all around, and throwing waste in the open really need to be left behind if we want to see our nation become better and healthier.