24,000 Mirzapur villagers build toilets on their own

LUCKNOW: As villagers from Mirzapur's Narainpur block of UP achieved the open defecation certificate for themselves, they became a learning lab for Swachh Bharat Mission which talks about inculcating the habit of using toilets besides building them.
What makes their achievement exemplary is that the residents built toilets largely on their own. Besides, all the 24,000 toilets that they got constructed were being used.
The feat was achieved through the community-led total sanitation drive launched by the district administration with the support of Unicef.In this, the residents were sensitised about the benefits of having toilets in their homes along with the savings that follow living in hygienic conditions.
In this way, the field staff including triggering teams, front-line workers and swachhagrahis created a demand for the toilets which is the first thing needed to ensure that the toilets were used. The locals also agreed to give up half the subsidy of Rs 12,000 given under Swacha Bharat Mission to build toilets.
"The people built toilets as per their need and design. Since they spent from their pockets, it was sure that they would value their property more. The strategy worked creating an example for others to emulate. All households in the block had a toilet which was in use," said Santosh Srivastava, additional development officer who led the communication initiative.
The Narainpur story, popularly known as the story of sustainable sanitation, is significant because many villages and districts have achieved the ODF status but not the 100% utilisation target. In fact, assessments by the ministry of panchyati raj show that if 100 toilets are built in the country, only 70 are being used. Also, in their bid, villages in Narainpur led to a saving of over Rs 9 crore of public money which would have gone as subsidy.
WASH officer, Unicef, Kumar Bikram revealed that the Narainpur’s achievement had been lauded at different levels. Prof Robert Chambers from UK, who is the inventor of participatory rural appraisal, the principle behind community led total sanitation drive - has also appreciated the model.
“Narainpur is a bright spot and excellence in today's race for more and more government aid. It shows that when society takes responsibility and ownership, they achieve far better results that are sustainable as well,” he said.