Setback to Swachh Bharat

Public toilet kept under lock and key since inauguration. It’s more than a year and half as of now.

Wielding a broom cleaning road at Raj Ghat on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi made a statement which had the day’s memoir re-written. The gesture had such a tremendous appeal that a large section of the citizenry stood to count itself to further the cause of Swachh Bharat (Clean India Mission). The union territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands too joined the nationwide campaign which is being seen as the biggest ever cleanliness drive in the history of India.

Leading from the front, the Honble Lt Governor of A&N Islands Lt General (Retd) A K Singh, PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, the Member of Parliament Shri Bishnu Pada Ray, Chairperson Zilla Parishad, Head of various Govt Directorates/Departments, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Schools, Colleges, Central Govt Organisations, Non Govt Organisations, Service Organisations including ordinary residents from every part of the islands reciprocated the efforts made by the Prime Minister of India.

 Indeed one cannot think of a better way of paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation who said “Everyone must be his own scavenger” and practiced it though his life. However with spread of township, consumerism and packaged commodity making inroads into our daily life, the task of keeping the surroundings clean is increasingly being seen as a responsibility of the civic authorities. One thus restrict itself to keeping its dwelling clean and prefer to leave the days garbage outside its premises hoping that the civic authorities will do its job.

Within the city limits the scheme works fine since Municipal Corporation is there to take care of the refuse generated in the course of a day. But elsewhere in the islands, where Panchayats are mandated to double up as civic authorities; with meagre funds allocated under the head Sanitation the story takes an ugly turn. Let me cite an example that will give readers a little insight into the issue.

With the view to give relief to villagers, Shore Point Gram Panchayat constructed a Public Toilet Block in Ward No 3. The said toilet block was supposed to provide relief to a sizeable section of the village which owing to large population density and limited land resources are not in position to have flush latrine in their individual household. A good number of such villagers had been using the sea shore at their backyard to relieve themselves. The situation was such that about a KM of the road leading to sea front (Burma Jetty) stood converted into a community latrine. The villagers were therefore joyous and showered words of praise upon Panchayat chief and the officials who contributed in giving villagers the much needed gift of a public toiled in their locality.

However after more than a year of inauguration, the toilet block is seen locked thought the day and night. During my recent visit to the site I could see a pipeline hanging in air at the entrance. One might be tempted to think that hanging pipe at the entrance is some kind of a bad omen that is dissuading villagers from using it. Some may even think the hanging pipe is obstructing the entrance; pause a while, that is also not the case.
Taking a closer look at the image would reveal a half inch dia pipeline which has one of its end fixed to the overhead tank and the other end meant to be connected to the delivery pipeline, has been left protruding out of the roof for us to comprehend the reason and the apathy it faced during the past year and a half. Yes you guessed it right. The reason is as small as that; water tap connection has not been provided to the toilet block, thus rendering it out of bounds for the public for the last more than a year and half.

Villagers now squat on the recently built sea wall enjoying cool breeze while making the coastline at the rear fertile. It has become business as usual for the not-so-privileged villagers, but for a casual visitor like me, it is hard to look the other way. Specially when substantial efforts and funds of the Govt of India has been spent, the target population should get benefit out of it. I am therefore putting the matter in the public domain with the sincere belief that the concerned authorities would not miss this real opportunity to stand up in support of the Swatchh Bharat Mission.

 This post was carried in the Port Blair edition of Echo of India dated June 19, 2015

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