NGOs that are working to bridge the sanitation divide in India

Introduction

Sanitation - At face value, this might seem like a very simple term, especially to those who live in posh high-rises or luxurious villas. But did you know that as recently as 2015, 13 children, all under the age of 5, would die because of diarrhea?

Even today, several girls are forced to drop out of school, when their menstruation starts, because they might not have access to proper toilets at school.

There is still a divide between urban and rural development and there are problems that still need a proper solution.

The Problems of Rural and Urban Sanitation in India

In the recent past, there have been strong moves towards improving the condition of sanitation and the government has been playing its role; however, access to good quality sanitation is lower for India, as compared to several other developing countries. Open defecation was a problem, due to the lack of proper toilets and now, even though there are more toilets being built, across the country, there are still those who prefer going out into the open fields, because they do not wish to feel 'constricted'!

The old way of thinking has to change first

It has been done for so many years, so why change now? Change is the only constant and when the world is moving and changing with the times, this mindset has to change as well. This perhaps is the biggest example of the rural-urban divide - the moment someone moves from the village to the urban centers, they are willing to modernize themselves.
The cost of sanitation will be too high and the poor will not be able to afford building or maintaining it. The truth is that if the right technology and support are in place, there is no real burden on the poor, rather only benefits. For instance, when proper toilets are used, there is a higher level of hygiene, and the possibility of falling ill is reduced; which in turn reduces the possible medical burdens.
For the poor people, there are more important things than sanitation. There is nothing more important than the health and well-being of any family, irrespective of their financial standing. There is a loss of dignity, when defecation has to be done in the open, especially for women and then there is the high risk of diseases.
The government is not bothered. Not only the government, but several water and sanitation NGOs are working hard to provide not just clean drinking water, but also proper sanitation facilities to people in both the rural and urban centers.

Here is What Improper Sanitation can Lead to

For those who think that sanitation is not the biggest concern, here are just some of the problems that it can cause:

Contaminated water sources as well as improper waste management can lead to outbreaks of a range of waterborne and foodborne diseases, including cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and hepatitis. Falling constantly ill due to these conditions could lead to serious health problems and in the worst cases, even death.
For children who are chronically ill, proper growth becomes a distant dream. Their bodies are unable to absorb nutrition properly, which in turn leads to malnutrition and a whole new Pandora's box of problems!
When there are no proper sanitation systems in place, it can lead to the contamination of the very sources of water. This is most commonly seen in villages, which depend on small lakes or ponds for their water supply.
Dignity and privacy concerns, especially those with women, are perhaps the highest - so many girls have to stop going to school, simply because they will not have a place to change their sanitary products or clean themselves with privacy.

What is interesting to note is that these problems are not specific to only rural sanitation in India; some of these continue to plague urban centers as well.

What is Being Done to Improve Rural and Urban Sanitation in India?

Although universal access to proper sanitation and safe drinking water is yet to be fully accomplished, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, or Clean India Mission is starting to take root. For instance, more than 1 lakh villages have declared themselves open defecation-free. Similarly, more than 11 crore Toilets and 2.23 lakh community sanitary complexes have been built by the central government. These are applaudable steps that are being taken to reduce the rural-urban divide in India in terms of sanitation.

The NGOs also have a large role to play, because they are often able to work a lot more closely with the grassroots than the government. Today, there are several such organizations that are working towards bringing clean water to every home and community, creating awareness about proper hygiene and sanitation and even offering assistance in building toilets.

Recognizing the Water and Sanitation NGOs

At Give Discover, we are proud to be linked with more than one NGO working for sanitation and here we bring to you a list of just a few of them:

Water For People India Trust: One of the NGOs associated with the WASH program - water, sanitation, and hygiene, Water for People India has been working towards the designing, creation, and implantation of rural areas and urban slums to share access to water resources. In addition to that, they also have several projects, wherein they try to ensure open defecation-free activities while spreading information and awareness about the necessity of proper sanitation. One of their more important projects is collaborating with Anganwadis and schools, with the intention of starting learning about WASH from a really early age. Till date, they have been able to reach and impact the lives of more than 50 million people, across India.
Swades Foundation: Every individual has the right to live a life with dignity, which refers to the right to proper sanitation, and just as important is the need for clean drinking water. From the time of establishment, this NGO has been working towards conserving water bodies all over Maharashtra, ensuring that there is a steady supply of water to each home so that they have enough to meet all basic needs, including livelihood and sanitation. Their work also extends to toilets for households, especially in rural areas, for which they are finding new and innovative ways to spread awareness, including street plays as well as community-led sanitation programs. Through their programs, they have been able to impact more than 2 million people, have helped construct close to 27 thousand toilets, and have also been able to verify close to 1500 hamlets as open defecation-free.
Rural Development Organization Trust: In the gorgeous settings of the Nilgiris, there were several people who did not have proper toilets in their homes, which is why, they either had to step out either late at night or early in the morning to relieve themselves. This problem prompted a local man named Mahalingam to establish the RDO Trust. Rather than depending on anyone else, the trust brings the community together and has assisted 68000 families to build toilets in their homes. The work was done predominantly by women's self-help groups and in collaboration with FINISH (Financial Inclusion Improves Sanction and Health), they have helped build more than 1.2 million toilets, in more than 10 states in the country.
Dasra: This is one of the NGOs working towards bringing forth innovative ideas for rural development in India, especially in terms of potable water and sanitation. The Dasra team has been working since 2012 in the domain of sanitation projects, particularly in urban areas. Their collaborations include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and also working as a Secretariat to the National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management Alliance. With the support from these organizations, Dasra has been helping improve the state of sanitation in the country.
Friend In Need India: Along with being an NGO for sanitation, Friend in Need India is also a laboratory offering teaching, training, and research and their aim is to support the nation in attaining sustainable development goals. Their main activity is the promotion of dry flush toilets, where the urine gets diverted – these are known as eco-san toilets. Their team also works to help repair existing toilets and promote handwashing facilities, especially in schools.