Swachh Bharat Mission - Grameen (SBM-G)

Purba Bardhaman Zilla Parishad

Dist. Water & Sanitation Cell

ODF PURBA BARDHAMAN

Background :

The status of sanitation in the Bardhaman District was not satisfactory as well as the quality of sanitation in the state of West Bengal before 2011. Access to household latrines, particularly in rural areas of Bardhaman the sanitation coverage was 63.87% as per BLS-2012. The status of Sanitation facilities in the State was 55.31% as well.

After the initiation of Swachh Bharat Mission - Grameen (SBM-G) the situation has become changed radically. The programme gets its momentum after the initiation of the Swachh Bharat Mission - Grameen (SBM-G) in West Bengal where the main focus of the programme is not only the construction of toilets in number but making the area of our locality open defecation-free (ODF).

Purba Bardhaman District- As per web site report of the MDWS, GOI, present coverage of the district with toilet facilities is 100% through individual household latrines (IHHL) according to BLS 2012. Besides this district has emphasized making our district free from open defecation within March’2017. In our district, we have 100 % toilet coverage in our schools and additional toilet has been constructed through SSM if required. At present 41 Gram Panchayats are taking into account for Solid & Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) out of which 6 are completed and running successfully.

The key behind the success :

Active involvement of Panchayat functionaries, Mass organisations, NGOs & School Sanitation Programme is the main key behind the little success. It is understood that 80 % of the sanitation-related diseases come from defecation in the open. The Panchayat functionaries thought that if a basic low-cost latrine is installed in every house under Sanitation Programme then the problem of open defecation can be tackled. In this way, the problem of loss of wages of agricultural labourers can be avoided and environmental pollution from the open excreta can be arrested. PanchayatSamiti has also raised the slogan on this Programme which has become very popular i.e.

“Self Prestige, Self Dignity of the Rural Women i.e. Sanitation”.

Then it transpires that Sanitation Programme has been considered as an entry point for the Poverty Alleviation Programme. At the same time, the aspect of rural employment generation cannot be ignored.

Bardhaman Zilla Parishad gave much attention to the following activities:

1. Holding a meeting at the Panchayat Samiti level with PRI Bodies with the main objective to cover all Panchayat Members providing toilets at first.
2. All political party meetings on this issue
3. Orientation of SHG members and Anganwadi workers
4. Selection of Motivators and their capacity building
5. Formation of monitoring committee at Gram Panchayat level.
6. Regularization of monthly review meeting at Gram Panchayat, PanchayatSamiti and ZillaParishad level.
7. Awareness Campaign at Gram Sansad level.
8. For message communication, use of Wall writing, Hoarding, Folk songs, Street Drama, Puppet, mobile tableau etc
9. Formation of Gram Nazardari Committee at Gram Sansad level for Door to Door Campaign.
10. Surveillance & Monitoring in the early morning (from 4 am) and evening (from 5 pm) every day in every gram sansad open defecation area to resist open defecation through Gandhigiri.
11. Observation of Sanitation Week
12. Application of Triggering exercise through CLTS approach.

To monitor the performance of all the above activities and to cheer up grass root level functionaries Hon’bleSabhadhipati, BardhamanZillaParishad, Hon’ble District Magistrate, Hon’ble Minister, Govt. of West Bengal from our district, all Additional District Magistrate, All Sub Divisional Magistrate, all Deputy Magistrate & Deputy Collector engaged for each Block, BDOs, Jt. BDOs, Sabhapati- PanchayatSamiti, Prodhan- Gram Panchayat and all other Govt. officials and PRI functionaries actively participated in the morning & evening nazardari at the village level.

ODF status of District :

All the 23 development Blocks including  19 nos. Ganga Bordering GPs have been declared ODF by Hon’ble Chief Minister on 2nd January 2018 at MatiUtsav 2018. Govt. Of India also completed all level verification and declared Purba Bardhaman district as ODF. After achieving ODF status, 1st and 2nd level ODF sustainability verification has been completed. In reporting time ODF Plus activity has already been started. On the basis of ODF status district received World Bank-sponsored Performance Based Incentive Grant (DLI-1 and DLI-2) for ODF sustainability and ODF Plus activity.

Activities taken at ODF villages for sustainability and  ODF Plus Activity  -

• The vigilance at the Village level with Para Nazardari Committees, VHSNC and VWSC is continued.
• Discussions on Sanitation are held on the 4th Saturday meeting and public discourse at the villages at least once in a month.
• Motivational programmes through folk media are continued.
• Cleanliness Drive to Prevent Vector Borne Disease (VBD).
•  Hand washing campaign.
• Management of Menstrual Hygiene is to be taken shortly.
• Disposal of Solid and Liquid Waste has been introduced.
• Construction of the Community Toilet Complex is ongoing
• Thrust on sanitation is continued under the leadership of BDO. The service of Block Monitor (DMDC) for sanitation has been used on an ongoing basis through Periodic field visits.
• Co-ordination meetings with different stakeholders.
• Surprise visits to the institutions are continued.
• Occasional celebrations of different days like World Toilet Day, World Environment Day, 2^nd October, 15^th August etc.
• No. of LOB (Left Out BLS) households send to State for approval for construction of IHHL.

The initiative taken from DLI fund -

• IHHL construction & repairing
• School Toilet construction/repairing
• ICDS Toilet construction/repairing
• Appropriate water supply and storage facility for toilet management.
• Decentralized garbage management
• Community Toilet repairing
• Safe disposal of Menstrual waste
• Drain /soak pit construction/repairing
• Toilet for Health Sub Centre etc.

 Additional activity for Ganga Bordering GP  :

1. Plantation with the help of the Forest Department and MGNREGS
2. Community Toilet Complex at Ferry Ghats and Burning Ghats with bathing and changing room
3. Garbage bin/pit for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste materials at Ferry Ghats and Burning Ghats
4. SLWM project Introduced
5. Repairing of School and AWC toilet – database to be maintained
6. Sansad wise Sanitation Register – for IHHL / Community toilet/waste management- solid & liquid /school & AWC toilet status

      7.   Inclusion of Planning for ODF sustainability and ODF Plus activity in the GPDP