Open Defecation Free – An initiative by KALPAVRIKSH
More than half of India’s population defecates in the open and the situation is worse in the acutely impoverished rural pockets. While providing physical access to water & sanitation facilities is the soul of total sanitation program, usefulness of these facilities depends on how communities identifies social practices that contributes to poor health & hygiene. Practice of open defecation persists in many of odisha’s rural areas due to lack of awareness about its detrimental effect on community’s health. With lot of activities running side by side it was felt to witness any development minds had to be changed & a healthy mind dwells in a healthy you. Now when the whole nation is joining hands in prime minister’s call for Swaachh Bharat, how can KALPAVRIKSH remain far behind? There was no more looking back. In convergence with RWSS, DWSM, the plunge to take an attempt to make our project villages & nearby villages open defecation free – our team moved ahead.
Initially the response of the villagers to construct toilets was negative. A series of awareness campaigns in the form of posters and pictorial presentations by the district administration & Kalpavriksh made the people conscious about the hazards of open defecation. It was the under the campaign, construction of toilets was started with an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 each. In each triggering workshop people were motivated to go on digging pit, it was amazing. Now working with 2386 HH more than 60% HH were covered in Raikia.
