Cleanliness is next only to godliness says the adage. Community and household hygiene are essential pre-requisites of healthy living. Most of the
gastro-intestinal diseases are caused due to unhygienic living. In Kanyakumari District a major sanitation campaign is presently on with the active involvement of the PRIs, NGOs, NRC(National Reconstruction Corps) attached to Nehru Yuva Kendra and various SHGs.
Kanyakumari Districts has been selected by the GOI as one of the pilot districts under Total Sanitation Campaign programme from April 2001. This was based on a proposal submitted by the DRDA, Kanyakumari district. The Project envisages construction of 38,800 Individual House Hold Latrines, 10 Sanitary Complexes for Women, 250 toilets for School Children and 390 Anganwadi toilets. A major awareness programme is the focal component of the TSC. The total outlay of the project is Rs.581.13 lakhs in which the share of the Govt. of India is Rs.233.69 lakhs, the Govt. of
Tamil Nadu is 140.51 lakhs and the contribution of the beneficiaries is 206.93
lakhs.
A District level water and Sanitation committee (WATSAN Committee) has been constituted headed by the District Collector to oversee the over all implementation of the
programme.
In consonance with the revised approach towards sanitation, more emphasis is being
given to IEC activities with the twin objectives of awareness creation and demand generation. A massive Cycle Rally was organized with the active involvement of the rural youth groups. Street plays were organized utilizing the services of local
artists.
Posters, Pamphlets, strikers and handouts were prepared and distributed. Periodic media briefings and press tours were organized for effective outreach.
The construction of Individual House Hold Latrines is being carried out involving two NGOs, SEVABARATHY and GOOD VISION.
Sanitary materials worth Rs.500 are made available in the Village Panchayat Office from where they are distributed to the beneficiaries in the presence of Village Panchayat Presidents and other local body representatives. The construction of the super structure is left to the choice of the individual.
An incentive of Rs.50 is permitted to the NGOs on the submission of photographs of the newly constructed toilets with members of the household.
A total of 390 Anganwadi Toilets are being constructed for the benefits of children below 5 in ICDS centres. The District Project Nutritious Officer is actively involved in the mobilization of contribution for the construction of these toilets. Contribution for the construction of all the toilets have been mobilized and so far 340 toilets have been constructed. The works are being executed through the Block Panchayat.
School Toilets also receive high priority along with Anganwadi Toilets. Under this programme 250 School Toilets have been taken up for construction. The NRC (National Reconstruction Corps) volunteers attached to Nehru Yuva Kendra play a major role in the construction of School Toilets.
In the identification of needy schools and mobilization of contribution from the PTAs, the NRC volunteers have contributed substantially. They have completed mobilization of contributions for the targeted 250 schools and have infact exceeded the target. As against a target of 250 toilets, 265 school toilets have been taken up and so far 260 school toilets have been completed. The remaining schools will be covered before March 2003. School Toilets are also executed through the Block machinery.
The progress of the programme is closely monitored. A weekly review of the programme is conducted by the Collector with the PO/DRDA, Executive Engineer (RD), the representatives of the NGOs, DPNO, Project Coordinator of NYK and the Project Officer/NRC. Operational problems in materials management, progress in the distribution of materials and completion of works, mobilization of public contribution and other logistical problems are reviewed and solutions offered then are there.
During the frequent field inspection undertaken by the Collector and Project Officer, works taken up under Total Sanitation Campaign are inspected on priority. Availability of water is ensured in all the School toilets.
After the IHHLs are constructed, photographs of the latrines with the family members are submitted to DRDA for claiming an incentive of Rs.50/- per latrine by the NGOs. DRDA arranges for verification of the photographs submitted by the NGOs before settling the claim.
1. Involvement of the NGOs in the construction of IHHLs.
2. Utilising the services of the Self Help Groups, Youth clubs, churches and other religions bodies in their respective areas for ensuring maximum outreach.
3. Organisation of mass distribution of Sanitary materials through representatives of local bodies.
4. Utilising the services of NSS and NRC volunteers for the construction of IHHLs where the beneficiaries are too poor to afford a latrine. The volunteers offer free labour for digging of soak pits.
5. Organisation of Block level Meetings of Village Panchayat Presidents and Block Panchayat chairpersons by the Collector covering all the 99 Village Panchayats.
6. Organisation of Press Tour with focus on Sanitation.
7. Organisation of awareness programmes for the Head Masters of schools.
8. Formation of Health and Environment clubs in Schools.
9. Involvement of CCA (Convergent Community Action) for awareness generation among school going children.
The TSC programme was launched in APRIL 2001. After a series of IEC programmes were conducted, hardware activities were taken up in AUGUST 2001. The progress during the initial months was not encouraging. Meanwhile the Collector attended a programme on sanitation in Bangladesh sponsored by Govt. of India, wherein the success of Sanitation Experiment in Bangladesh was studied. The visit came as a shot in the arm. The progress of the programme picked up momentum afterwards. As of now, more than 23,760 IHHLs have been constructed as against a target of 38,800. Under school and Anganwadi toilets, 260 and 340 toilets have been constructed against a target of 250 and 390 respectively.
A major achievement has been the total coverage of 23 village panchayats in 9 Blocks under IHHLs. The Presidents of these Panchayats were honoured by the Collector by presenting mementoes. Another landmark achievement is the declaration of Melpuram and Thuckalay are the first fully covered Blocks under Total sanitation program.
Click on the Thumbnails to view the comments from the newspapers
|
|
 |
|