Nala Camp, Block A, Vasant Kunj becomes 100% Open Defecation Free area
The urban slum area located at the heart of National Capital had over 65% people defecating in the open.
The approach was community-led where entire financing for toilets was done by the community itself.
Across 7 slums where such intervention is in progress the communities have invested around Rs 20 lacs for toilet construction.
Caddie Hotels supported this intervention through Feedback Foundation, a Trust which works across 13 states in India, in urban and rural sanitation.
After eight months of intensive sanitation drive, Block A, Nala Camp, Rangpuri Pahari has become a 100% Open Defecation Free area. Until now, the Block situated at Vasant Kunj, South Delhi was no different than any other typical urban slum area, where 65-70 per cent people opt for open defecation. But, the area has gone into complete transformation and today no one in the area goes for open defecation. The Block has 97 households with population of over 450.
Out of this 97 households, barely 30% (29 HHs) had individual toilets inclusive of 5% (5 households), which had unsafe toilets. However, remaining 70% population of this slum area had no choice but to defecate in the open (data based on situational analysis conducted by FF). People used open areas, road sides, internal lanes, open drains in the slum for defecation purposes. These practices led to unclean, unhygienic surroundings and frequent diseases outbursts.
Feedback Foundation, with support from Caddie Hotels, started its association with this camp in September 2013 and started sensitisation and awareness campaign in the locality. In view of involving the community in the Sanitation Drive, “Nigrani Committees” were formed to monitor and rule out the practice of open defecation. These Committees also spearhead construction of toilets in their pockets.
Making a difference through community engagement
The Nigrani Committees initiated regular monitoring and consultation in the morning and evening. They Committee members monitored spots that were used for defecation by the residents. As first step to sanitation ladder, the Committee members conducted door to door visits and propagated construction of low cost toilet within houses and adoption of “Cat method” till the toilets were ready.
The other agenda items of Nigrani Committee were educating and convincing people to refurbish/ upgrade unsafe toilets into safe ones and creating peer pressure with the help of tenants without toilets on landlords. They suggested tenants to share toilets with the landlord till separate toilets were built for the tenants.
By June 2014, 93% households had constructed toilets within their houses. Of the remaining 7% households which were majorly tenants, scheme of sharing toilets was started and with that the community declared itself 100% (Open Defecation Free) OCF.
For further communication, please contact the undersigned.
Vikram Jethwani
Manager – Corporate Communication
Feedback Infra
M: +91 99117 83766
E: vikram.jethwani@feedbackinfra.com