Daliya Jalao

Dry toilets and consequent manual scavenging constitute a problem that transgresses into the domains of caste and gender; health and occupation; human dignity and freedom; and human rights and social justice. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh called manual scavenging one of the darkest blots on our development process. Despite all this, there has been blatant denial of the existence of the practice in recent years.

 Budaun district of U.P. had probably highest number of scavengers and dry toilets as compared to any other district of the country and surveying them itself was an enormous task. Cases of polio and frequent epidemics such as of diarrhoea, dysentery, jaundice, gastroenteritis, typhoid, and intestinal worms were common in district Budaun.

 Earlier whenever some work on this front had been undertaken there was resentment from scavengers as well as dry latrine users. Hence to achieve stakeholder’s participation more than 500 meetings, rallies, camps etc. were organized. Manual scavengers were motivated and hegemony was countered by techniques such as Daliya Jalao. The rehabilitation package for them had components of social inclusion resulting in abolition of untouchability in a very small time. Provisions such as toilets in scavenger’s home and mason’s training to them made them active participant. For the first time the health hazards of dry latrines were brought to focus, which till now agencies such as UNICEF and WHO were unaware of, and thus dry latrine users could be convinced. Low cost toilet model was Introduced and popularized. Gram pradhans and around 10,000 village level government functionaries, which were from the village level community itself, were educated and used. Thus forming a big team and helping in ensuring community participation.

 The initiative has been successful in identifying and removing the existing 50,000 dry toilets and converting them into pour flush latrines with 100 per cent usage. Around 2,750 scavengers have been liberated and their children and family members have been successfully linked to government schemes and programmes. During the campaign approximately 7,000 village level government functionaries have constructed their own toilet. They set example for other villagers and generated positive atmosphere for the elimination of open defecation. Reports have provided that there is a sharp decline in the epidemics in the villages. The users of dry latrines and people of villages are feeling the extinction of flies that used to be there in their houses and report that their houses and streets no more stink with the foul smell of human excreta. The impact of this on health is very obvious and has historically shifted the paradigm of health and sanitation conditions in those villages.