Ending Open Defecation - Evidence from Survey of Rural Punjab

Abstract

Despite economic growth, government toilet construction and increasing recognition among policy makers that it constitutes a health and human capital crisis, open defecation still remains stubbornly widespread in the whole world. Open defecation also creates vulnerability, particularly for women and girls who experience a loss of dignity or are exposed to abuse and harassment while defecating in the open. Improper waste management can seriously contaminate important sources of drinking water such as surface and groundwater and discourage tourism and economic development (Elledge and McClatchey, 2013). Thus, in lieu of various health related, socio-economic related, growth and development related impacts of open defecation and poor sanitation, present study is an endeavour in this direction to study the condition of open defecation in rural areas of Punjab. The study uses primary data collected from three villages of Punjab namely Lopoke, Naushehra Khurd and Pandori.

The study revealed that most of the people in these rural areas are below the poverty line and cannot afford constructing toilets in their houses. Most of the people in these areas were not aware about the health impacts of open defecation. The study also concluded that the health status of the people was also very poor. Most of the informants suffered from various diseases like UTI infections, fever, malaria and diarrhoea. Lack of education, knowledge and lack of awareness about the ill effects of open defecation has led to poor health status of rural people. As far as their social problems are concerned, the survey found that the problem was mainly faced by girls and women as cases of rape, loss of dignity were observed and moreover they feel it very uncomfortable.

Thus on the whole, poverty, corruption at local level, lack of knowledge about benefits of toilets and lack of knowledge about the health impacts of open defecation were the main reasons for practising open defecation in these areas. There is a needthat sanitation literacy should be spread among the rural public, educating them about the benefits of using toilets and disadvantages of open defecation. The village which is found to be free from open defecation should be given due recognition, with extra infrastructural facilities to encourage to follow them. Social norms and habits need to be changed, if this problem is to be fought.