As many as 37,000 villages across India have been declared “open defecation-free” a year after the launch of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
But, these figures may not be entirely believable if an evaluation done by a think tank on a pilot basis in Mysuru is any indication.
The International Institute of Waste Management (IIWM), which is working to support government initiatives, has pointed to an error in the tabulation methodology used to compile data on the sanitation project that has resulted in the number of toilets constructed being inflated.
Work order only
The source of the problem is that both Karnataka’s Panchatantra software and the Centre’s Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), which compile data on toilets constructed, do not have separate columns for work order generated to build a toilet and the physical completion of this process. As a result, every work order generated is assumed to be a “built” toilet. This does not account for work stopping halfway or never taking off after work order being generated. “The data generated gives a feeling that the figures mentioned against a village are about toilets constructed completely. Whereas, in reality, only the work order would have been generated,” P. Bineesha, Executive Director of IIWM, told The Hindu .
“Only a look at the financial details will tell how many toilets are actually completed. The government extends an assistance of Rs. 12,000 for each toilet and if it is just the work order that has been generated, only the first instalment of Rs. 2,000 would have been released,” she explained.
The organisation that has evaluated the sanitation project in two villages of every taluk of Mysuru district has submitted a draft presentation to the jurisdictional taluk authorities pointing out the flaws. “Overall, we found that nearly 40 per cent of the toilets shown as completed would have been only at the work order generated stage,” Ms. Bineesha said.
That apart, the villages have been declared “open defecation-free” on the basis of the beneficiary list of the 2012 baseline survey. “In fact, the number of beneficiaries would actually have increased after the survey either because of split in joint families or because of new households. So, even if the households identified in 2012 would have got the toilets now, there are many households that still defecate in the open. So, how can the villages be declared open defecation-free,” she reasoned.
The organisation is planning to take up similar evaluations across the country.
The Mysuru findings would be submitted to the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in the next few days, she said.
‘Glitches being set right’
Admitting that IIWM had discussed the issue with jurisdictional officials, Mysuru Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary (Development) S.C. Mahesh said that the glitches identified by the organisation were in the process of being set right.
With regard to discrepancies in the beneficiary list, he said: “Although many new households have come up in the open defecation-free villages after the baseline survey, they have got toilets constructed on their own.”
He said that under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan guidelines, there is a provision to upgrade the beneficiary list in April every year.
“In view of the increase in the number of households that are not included in the baseline survey, a revision of the district project implementation plan will be done. After the State government’s approval, the revised project implementation plan will be sent to the Centre for clearance,” the official said.
