Studying and analysing the impact and success of RBs’ “Dettol banega swachh India” program

Abstract

The sanitation and hygiene problem in India is a challenge for the country socially and economically. At the macro level, the economic cost to the nation sums to around $120 billion. The toll of death due to poor sanitation and hygiene reaches to 2 Lakh annually in India. Praveen Prakash, National Mission Director of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) quotes, “If we provide good sanitation system, we can save a loss of six percent of the GDP due to lack of sanitation. Almost three percent of children die due to lack of hygiene. We can save lives if we provide a good sanitation system,” It has been established that infrastructure problem could be addressed shortly, although the more significant challenge lies in the conservative mindset and the conditioned behavioursince many centuries due to false notions of cleanliness. Building toilets and their use in isolation would not achieve anything concrete. Before 2008 it was felt that the supply driven interventions or the sanitation needs directly depending upon the infrastructural needs and providing those would solve the problems. However, the demand side approaches focusing on the health education, social marketing, community action etc. and thereby enabling the behavioural change is the need of the hour.