Delay in payment of incentive leads to discontinuation of toilet construction by the beneficiaries under the Government scheme in Ganjam district.
Quality of toilet construction, where contactors/NGOs are hired to build, is poor. Consequently, there is low level of usage and beneficiaries dissatisfaction.
This was stated in a district level workshop on citizen report card on rural sanitation (Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin) was organised by Project Director DRDA Ganjam at Chhatrapur on September 30.
The Youth for Social Development conducted a survey using Citizen Report Card for assessment of access, quality, reliability, staff responsiveness, corruption, satisfaction level and suggestions from the beneficiaries, perspectives from the service providers and the physical verification of ‘rural sanitation’ including IHHL, sanitation in school, anganwadi centre, healthcare institutions and other public institutions under the Swachh Bharat Mission- Gramin.
The survey covered 10 blocks, 20 Gram Panchayats and 1,969 households and physical verification conducted of 61 schools (primary, UP, high schools), 77 Anganwadi Centres, 15 healthcare institutions (PHC, CHC and sub-centre) and 22 Gram Panchayat offices.
It revealed that the beneficiaries pay extra money to arrange materials due to absence of ‘Rural Sanitary Mart’ or materials being more expensive there. Low level of toilet usage due to poor awareness on KAP (knowledge, attitude and practice) makes target of ‘open defecation free’ village/GP tough, clarified the survey.
It agains told that overall 37 per cent beneficiaries are dissatisfied with SBM-Gramin School Sanitation. Households, officials and observations confirm high availability of toilets in schools, separate toilets for girls too and very few schools have separate toilets for teachers.
The reasons for not using toilet are lack of water, lack of separate toilets for boys and girls and blocked toilets.
As many as 15 per cent HHs children not allowed to use toilets in the schools and 80 per cent reported that the school toilets were maintained clean. More than 75% HHs say hand washing facilities in schools are functional and accessible to children of all age groups.
Only little more than half the Anganwadi Centres have toilets and availability of water in toilets is very low. Hand washing facility is low too.
Officials say there are no toilets accessible for children with special needs.
Besides, it said toilets are available in over 70 per cent of the health centres but availability is much lower in PHCs and sub-centres.