SANITATION CRISIS IN INDIA!

Its early morning and local commuters queuing up for tickets at the railway

counter, but some of the people gathered for some other business along the

railway tracks. They are among the 48% of Indians who do not have access

to proper sanitation.

The people defecating along railway tracks invites unwanted audiences.

Tourists who wants to enjoy themselves commuting by trains feel trapped

in awkward moment by watching people defecating in open.

These number of people- belongs to slum areas who don’t have toilets and

defecate in open near trees and bushes along the railway track. This is a

normal and daily ritual followed strongly despite the hazards of catching

contagious diseases.

It can be more hazardous for women defecating after sunset, which invites

many danger of sexual assault. Some of the cases like two teenage girls

from the state of Uttar Pradesh were gang-raped and found hanging from a

tree after they left their village home to go to the toilet.

According to the WHO (World Health Organisation) report 60% of people

defecating in open in world live in India. More than half a billion in India

defecates in open without any privacy or dignity.

Sanitation access to all is the gimmick to which all the politicians played for

making their poll banks more strong. All the parties promised to put an end

to open defecation in their election manifesto.

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised "Toilets first, temples later"

during his election campaign. After becoming Prime Minister, Narendra

Modi launched his maiden ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ aims to make India

clean and green.

Most of the states like Haryana & Uttar Pradesh also initiated hygienic &

sanitation awareness campaign such as “No toilets, No bride”. This

campaign urged brides to reject a groom if he did not have a lavatory at

home. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation vows to build toilets in slum-

dwellers areas in India.

What could be the solution to the problem, the solution should not lie within

the manifesto or false promises made by the political parties. We as the

citizen should also realize our duties and try to change not the lives of

people living in cities but should also think about the rural part of our nation.

India will be free of open defecation only when "every Indian household,

every village, every part of Indian society will accept the need to use toilets.