With almost 173 people defecating in the open for every square kilometer, India has the highest number of people without access to sanitation. The resulting health crisis is a serious matter as more than 140,000 children younger than five years die each year in India from diarrhoea.
Simhastha Kumbh in Ujjain is one of the largest gatherings of people in the world with over 5 crore people expected to attend the Mela over the month. Given the huge influx of people over a relatively short period of time, it is a challenge to ensure that safe water, sanitation and hygiene services are made available for all the visiting pilgrims. A key concern is the possible prevalence of open defecation if the toilets provided are not sufficient to cater to the demand and possible lack of awareness on maintaining adequate hygiene to prevent outbreak of any diseases.
To give a small sense of what life is like for the 560 million people in India defecating in the open, WaterAid India along with Bhartiya Grameen Mahila Sangh (BGMS) unveiled a special toilet called ‘loo With A View’ whose door has a one-way mirror through which the person inside can see outside but for a person outside, the door appears as a mirror and they’re unable to see in. The toilets are located next to the WaterAid India stall in the Datta Akhara zone of Ujjain’s Mela area.