Like it or not we have to accept the fact that open defecation is widespread in our country. Except for a couple of states, it is practised widely in a number of Indian states. It is present both in rural and urban settings. It is a problem.
Open defecation is insanitary and unhygienic and leads to a number of health and economic problems. Thanks to open defecation, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal illnesses are common and lead to increased childhood mortality. Intestinal parasitic infestation is common and may lead to stunting in children according to a recent study. Moreover it is unsightly and revolting to outsiders and taints the reputation of the country leading to economic and other losses.
Some will make the case that toilets are alien to India and open defecation has always been the norm. They will assert that toilets are a Western invention and habit. This is colonial thinking at its worst. There is plenty of evidence that toilets existed in houses and urban sanitation was widely practised in the cities of India long before anywhere else. The many Harappan sites including the ruins of Dolavira in Gujarat give ample testimony that urban sanitation was present in India 4000 years ago.Yet we do have to admit that in rural settings open defecation has been present in India for a long time perhaps forever.
When the population was sparse, open defecation in a tropical country may not have caused many problems. Organic matter does decay very fast in a tropical climate. But today, ours is country of a billion people. The sheer amount of fecal waste generated cannot decay naturally in a safe manner. Human waste will flow into our rivers and lakes and contaminate them. It will contaminate the ground water. It will spread disease and death and lead to economic ruin for the country.
Our cities as well as our villages are becoming crowded and congested. Vast numbers of rural folk are moving to cities in search of better opportunities and will continue to do so for many more years. Many move into urban slums. If they practised open defecation in the villages they will continue to do so in the cities, where it becomes a more acute problem.
To solve the problem of open defecation, we have to concentrate on both the urban and rural landscape at the same time. One cannot work without the other.
In urban settings public toilets have to built and maintained. Access to public conveniences should be regarded as a fundamental right and legislated. Local governments have to be held accountable. Businesses have to be forced to provide toilets for their customers. Cities should have by-laws regulating the construction of toilets in homes and businesses. Underground sewage systems have to be designed intelligently, properly built and connected to sewage treatment plants. Sewage treatment plants with excess capacity should be built and maintained. These facilities should be fiscally viable so that their maintenance is guaranteed. We cannot ban open defecation without giving people an alternative.
In rural areas, people have to be encouraged to build toilets in their homes. Loans and grants have to be made available to them. They have to be given the know how to build and maintain toilets. Where appropriate, community toilet facilities have to be built and maintained.
Funding for ending open defecation is widely available. Vast sums of money are being spent by the government through the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, the total sanitation scheme in rural areas as well as the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission in urban areas to improve sanitation. Many NGOs are also involved in this effort.
Although there have been successes, there have also been many barriers. The biggest barrier has not been a lack of funding or resources but a reluctance on the part of the population to adopt good sanitation practices. The reasons for this resistance has to be explored to find a rapid and lasting solution to this vexing problem.
When people think of populations that practice open defecation, they tend to think that these people have no sense of hygiene or cleanliness. This is not true in the Indian context. These people do have an acute sense of toilet hygiene. How they practise it is cultural and learned through many generations. For them, defecating in a place away from places where they eat and sleep is hygienic. They are usually appalled when they learn that in some places people defecate inside houses. They would actually find this amusing and disgusting. In some rural cultures defecating inside the house is taboo.
To make people, who have defecated in the open for generations, use sanitary toilet facilities is a huge social change which will face a lot of resistance. The human act of defecation or the bowel habit is a highly personal affair. People learn this habit over a lifetime and there is a whole psychological structure around it. Just as it is difficult for someone who has used a toilet, to suddenly start defecating in the open, it is equally hard for someone who has been defecating in the open to start using a toilet. That is why toilets built with government and NGO money in rural areas are often used as granaries and tool sheds.
For adults above a certain age, it will be a difficult if not impossible transition. They will continue to defecate in the open until they die, no matter how beautiful a latrine you build for them in their houses. For them the act of defecating in their houses will be an unclean habit. They would not know or care that open defecation leads to disease and pollution. To eradicate open defecation we have to target the young before they too become entrenched in the habit and cannot break it. For this to happen a concerted campaign has to start now, if we are going to succeed in the next ten to twenty years.
Education is key. To make the young adopt sanitation, it has to be taught in schools from a young age. It might be the most important lesson they learn and might be lifesaving for many. We have to maintain clean toilets in schools. If they do not learn at school they might not get an opportunity anywhere else. We have to break the transmission of the open defecation habit to yet another generation.
It is often said that more people in India have cell phones than access to toilets. If this is true, the reasons have to be explored. Although cell phones are relatively expensive, they are affordable to many and they buy them to better their lives. They do so because a cell phone adds value to their lives and makes it easier. On the other hand toilets are affordable yet people are slow to adopt them. The reason has to be that they do not see the value in them. People have to be convinced that toilets will add value to their lives.
People in any society value health. The connection between good health and sanitation has to be taught. It is not always clear to rural, illiterate folk. In a recent campaign the ubiquitous house fly was used to establish this connection. Flies will sit on open feces as well as exposed food. These are common sights in many villages. People often do not realize that the same flies with their feet and tentacles coated with feces will alight on food and leave some for people to eat. Such graphic demonstration often drives home the point. Certain villagers who would not let some other villagers from certain castes or communities into their houses for fear of "contamination", are shocked to learn that they have been consuming their shit all along. This usually leads to adoption of sanitation by all villagers.
For people who are resistant to defecate in their homes, community toilets are an option. This gives them the opportunity to defecate away from their homes, yet in a safe and hygienic manner. Local governments, panchayats, district administrators, NGOs, rural community leaders all have to cooperate to establish these. They have to be built in a culturally sensitive manner according to local customs and traditions. However building community toilets are not as challenging as maintaing them. The question as to who will maintain them is a barrier. This issue is relevant to the urban scene too. Traditionally in Indian societies certain "castes" were and are assigned the work of sanitation. They were/are the "scavenger" castes and treated as "untouchables". This is a gross human rights violation and cannot be allowed to continue. As these communities progress economically they refuse to do these jobs that other communities shun. Who then will clean our public toilets in urban or rural India? For many Indians coming into contact with the body fluids or excreta of others is an absolute taboo. Sanitary work is considered a low and unclean job entrenched in the caste system. Yet we will walk around in bare feet with raw sewage streaming over our public spaces in the rainy season. We will eat at roadside eateries where flies abound and unconsciously and blissfully consume food tainted by other's feces.
The only way around this problem is to remove the stigma from sanitary work. Sanitary workers have to be respected, given proper equipment, training and paid well. If the wages are decent, respect will follow. People from any community should be able to do these jobs without shame or discrimination. It is a tough challenge in the Indian context, but not impossible to overcome. The example that comes to mind is the medical profession. There was a time in many Indian cultures the healer or physician was thought to be unclean and impure. The reason was that medical practitioners regularly come into contact with the body fluids of others. Although they were respected for their knowledge and skill they were usually from a downtrodden community. It is hard to believe this today, but is true. Today the job of a doctor is sought after by all sections of Indian society. It is prestigious and lucrative. The change has come about because the profession has been sanitized and remunerated well. Doctors work in clean environments and use protective aids such as gloves and masks when doing a rectal examination or a colonoscopy. Although the sanitary worker's job is never going to be elevated to that of a doctor, much can be done to make it respectable and acceptable to many without stigma.
The other reason for unsuccessful implementation of toilet programs is the lack of skilled manpower to maintain and repair toilet and sewage systems. In most Western societies the plumber is the best paid tradesperson. They are often quite rich. In the Indian context there is a vacuum in this industry that has to be filled. Anything that is built is bound to breakdown at some point. Vocational schools have to design programs that train people in the repair and maintenance of toilet facilities.
Grandstanding statements such as those made by the central minister Jairam Ramesh recently are useful in creating awareness, but do not further the cause of ending open defecation by themselves. High profile celebrities such as the Bollywood actress Vidya Balan getting involved in this cause is welcome as it does create awareness and lends credibility to the effort. At the end of the day, hard work by social workers, community leaders and NGOs will be needed to make this a reality.
Despite all the gloom brought about by the recent statistics, there is cause for a lot of hope. More and more more communities are adopting sanitary practices. The Eco-San dry toilet promoted by many NGOs is gaining popularity around the country. Sulabh International has done amazing work in many areas. Slowly but steadily toilets are becoming the norm among rural people and the urban poor. The day is not far off when we can take a deep breath and heave a sigh of relief without the smell of shit in our nostrils.
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Sunday, 31 March 2013
The Economics of Clean Public Spaces in India
When we see unclean public spaces in India the immediate explanation seems to be the widespread poverty and the fact that we are a poor developing country. It is true that wealthy countries in general are able to maintain clean public spaces. Is there a connection between clean public spaces and prosperity?
Maintaining clean public spaces requires money. The infrastructure to collect refuse and the mechanisms to dispose of them need an initial outlay of funds and ongoing maintenance funds. Garbage bins have to be bought and installed. Sanitary workers have to be paid wages.There are transportation costs. Landfills, garbage processing plants, recycling plants, waste to energy facilities etc. have to built and and maintained. Public toilets have to be built and serviced. All this costs money. The funds usually come out of public agencies who depend on tax revenues. There is always a shortage of money in public administrative structures. This is true in any part of the world, but more so in democracies.
India is a developing country with a large and diverse population. With recent economic progress it is becoming a middle income country with larger reserves of public money with more robust tax revenues. Although it still does not have the kind of money that more developed countries have, it can afford to spend more money on public services now, than it could, say a decade ago. It is often noted that countries that are at a similar level of development as India seem to be cleaner.
Now, poverty is endemic in India. Rural as well as urban poverty is widespread. The many impoverished villages and plethora of urban slums that dot our country stand testament to this fact. The vast majority of India's population still makes do with very meagre resources despite the country's rapid economic progress. The media, especially of the Western kind, seems to take great pleasure in highlighting this fact from time to time. Moreover India seems to lag behind in every Human Development Index measure evaluated by the United Nations.
It is indeed difficult to make poor people pay attention to cleanliness of public spaces, when their thoughts and activities are centred around survival. When theirs is a daily struggle for survival, the aesthetics of public spaces is far removed from their list of priorities. They fail to take ownership of public spaces because they own so little of their own.
To create clean public spaces in India, we need to spend more money to build and maintain the infrastructure and to put in place regular mechanisms for cleaning. The funds are there and need to be utilized. They also have to be used wisely. Fiscal responsibility and accountability is part and parcel of good governance. Clean public spaces are a reflection good governance.There are many barriers to good fiscal governance in India.
Bureaucratic apathy, ineptitude, corruption, political interference, nepotism and populism are rife in India's governance. It is indeed a difficult place to govern. These have to be overcome.
Also, poor people need not be unclean. There are many communities around the world and in India itself which are poor yet clean. At least part of the reason for unclean public spaces in India is cultural and not economic alone.
If we can get our public spaces cleaned up, there are definite economic benefits. Tourism and new investments will flow in. This will bring in money into the community and new employment. A proud and confident population will be happier and more productive. Clean public spaces will lead to less disease and a healthier population. It will decrease absenteeism and premature death. These will bring economic stability to families and the country. Preventing spitting in public places might bring down the incidence of TB, which does take a toll on our population
Local governments have to use public money efficiently to improve the collection and disposal waste. Well thought out plans and stringent rules in implementing them will prevent wasting scarce resources on frivolous schemes that are not practical. Private public partnerships ( PPPs) can be used to mobilize much needed funds. Corruption and political interference have to be eradicated. Private entities can manage the collection and disposal of waste, if they have good government oversight. This will ensure that these systems are efficient and effective.
Workers involved in the collection, transport and disposal of waste have to be paid well and given due respect. Their work has to valued by society and the stigma around these jobs has to be removed. Their vocations have to be made economically viable for them and their families. Their incomes should reflect the value society places on clean public spaces.
If we get this balance right, we will create a prosperous and clean country that will be the envy of the world. India would have come full circle to reassert its pride as one the greatest civilizations to evolve on earth. It would regain its place in the comity of nations with a splendour never seen before in its glorious history.
Maintaining clean public spaces requires money. The infrastructure to collect refuse and the mechanisms to dispose of them need an initial outlay of funds and ongoing maintenance funds. Garbage bins have to be bought and installed. Sanitary workers have to be paid wages.There are transportation costs. Landfills, garbage processing plants, recycling plants, waste to energy facilities etc. have to built and and maintained. Public toilets have to be built and serviced. All this costs money. The funds usually come out of public agencies who depend on tax revenues. There is always a shortage of money in public administrative structures. This is true in any part of the world, but more so in democracies.
India is a developing country with a large and diverse population. With recent economic progress it is becoming a middle income country with larger reserves of public money with more robust tax revenues. Although it still does not have the kind of money that more developed countries have, it can afford to spend more money on public services now, than it could, say a decade ago. It is often noted that countries that are at a similar level of development as India seem to be cleaner.
Now, poverty is endemic in India. Rural as well as urban poverty is widespread. The many impoverished villages and plethora of urban slums that dot our country stand testament to this fact. The vast majority of India's population still makes do with very meagre resources despite the country's rapid economic progress. The media, especially of the Western kind, seems to take great pleasure in highlighting this fact from time to time. Moreover India seems to lag behind in every Human Development Index measure evaluated by the United Nations.
It is indeed difficult to make poor people pay attention to cleanliness of public spaces, when their thoughts and activities are centred around survival. When theirs is a daily struggle for survival, the aesthetics of public spaces is far removed from their list of priorities. They fail to take ownership of public spaces because they own so little of their own.
To create clean public spaces in India, we need to spend more money to build and maintain the infrastructure and to put in place regular mechanisms for cleaning. The funds are there and need to be utilized. They also have to be used wisely. Fiscal responsibility and accountability is part and parcel of good governance. Clean public spaces are a reflection good governance.There are many barriers to good fiscal governance in India.
Bureaucratic apathy, ineptitude, corruption, political interference, nepotism and populism are rife in India's governance. It is indeed a difficult place to govern. These have to be overcome.
Also, poor people need not be unclean. There are many communities around the world and in India itself which are poor yet clean. At least part of the reason for unclean public spaces in India is cultural and not economic alone.
If we can get our public spaces cleaned up, there are definite economic benefits. Tourism and new investments will flow in. This will bring in money into the community and new employment. A proud and confident population will be happier and more productive. Clean public spaces will lead to less disease and a healthier population. It will decrease absenteeism and premature death. These will bring economic stability to families and the country. Preventing spitting in public places might bring down the incidence of TB, which does take a toll on our population
Local governments have to use public money efficiently to improve the collection and disposal waste. Well thought out plans and stringent rules in implementing them will prevent wasting scarce resources on frivolous schemes that are not practical. Private public partnerships ( PPPs) can be used to mobilize much needed funds. Corruption and political interference have to be eradicated. Private entities can manage the collection and disposal of waste, if they have good government oversight. This will ensure that these systems are efficient and effective.
Workers involved in the collection, transport and disposal of waste have to be paid well and given due respect. Their work has to valued by society and the stigma around these jobs has to be removed. Their vocations have to be made economically viable for them and their families. Their incomes should reflect the value society places on clean public spaces.
If we get this balance right, we will create a prosperous and clean country that will be the envy of the world. India would have come full circle to reassert its pride as one the greatest civilizations to evolve on earth. It would regain its place in the comity of nations with a splendour never seen before in its glorious history.
Sunday, 3 February 2013
The Aesthetics of Waste Disposal in India
All societies generate waste. Waste is not unique to any nation. The amount of waste generated of course varies according to the culture, population and population density. However, how this waste is disposed of does vary quite widely. Improper disposal leads to accumulation of waste in public spaces leading to squalor and disease. It destroys waterways and pristine landscapes. It makes urban spaces ugly and unsightly; it causes stench and nausea, and worse. It sullies a nations reputation.
In India we have a garbage problem. Our cities are a mess. Our villages are no better. Our rivers and lakes stink. Visitors to our country hold their noses in disgust and we hang our heads in shame. Why is it so? Why should it be so?
Is it because we generate more garbage than other countries? Actually urban Indians at 600 gms per person per day produce less garbage than the average American at 2 kg per person per day according to a recent news report. Is it population density the cause? There are cities in the world that compare with our cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata in population density, but are not as dirty. New York City is a fairly densely populated city but is reasonably clean. Is it economics? True, most Western industrialized cities are richer and have more financial resources to take care of their waste. But we cannot cry poor forever. Look at poor countries in our neighbourhood who have a better record in urban sanitation. Sri Lanka, a small country in our part of the world, with a political system that is no better than ours, is doing a better job in maintaing clean public spaces.
When we speak of solutions, we often speak of the efficiency, efficacy and sustainability of waste disposal systems. We do need efficient collection systems with source segregation being one of the most important changes. We do not speak much about the transport or transfer of garbage. We worry about the actual disposition of the garbage. Landfills and the space needed for them and the need for waste processing plants are always in the news. But these are universal issues and are not unique to India. Source segregation is a relatively new phenomenon even in the industrialized "developed" West. Even there, except for the Scandinavian countries it is not practised well. Most studies show that segregation and recycling only account for a small proportion of the total waste disposal. Source segregation is a very important activity and we are in no way belittling it. It would definitely lead to better waste management. Our point is that the cause of our unclean public spaces is not the lack of proper waste disposal systems alone. In many countries public spaces became clean long before these waste disposal systems were even thought about.
It all boils down to attitude and culture. We do not have a culture that appreciates the beauty of clean public spaces. This lack of appreciation for beauty in the public space manifests as poor civic sense among our citizenry and poor civic governance from our administrators.
The housewife or maid who throws household waste out the window onto the street or the householder or business owner who dumps his garbage on the roadside lack this appreciation of beauty. Men who urinate on public walls and spit everywhere have no sense of the beauty of clean public spaces. The sanitary worker or garbage collector who spills garbage as he collects them, leaving the street still dirty after it has been "cleaned" has no sense of aesthetics. Administrations that provide open lorries as opposed to covered dump trucks to transport garbage across cities are doing the same. The system of open garbage collection points or transfer points to transfer garbage from local tricycles etc. to larger vehicles is unnecessary and again shows a lack appreciation for cleanliness. If the garbage has to be thus transferred, it has to be done in such a way that it is invisible. That is how most other countries do it. It should not be collected in public spaces creating greater piles of garbage before being hauled away. This is how it is done in many Indian cities. It not only increases the work, it is also a messy way of doing things. The process of waste collection need not be messy. It has to be done in the cleanest way possible.
We also do not see the ugliness that unwanted posters on public walls create. Political leaders should stop their followers from defacing walls around the city with political posters. It is a simple directive, but one that most politicians in India do not have the courage to make.
It is wrong to argue that Indians do not have a sense of beauty. We do. We have the most exquisitely beautiful dance, music and other art forms. We make beautiful movies. Our country is endowed with natural beauty. We have beautiful architecture both ancient and modern. We have beautiful people and beautiful literature. What we lack is the ability to appreciate the beauty in our public spaces and the ability to create that beauty. It is indeed an Indian weakness. We, the descendants of one the most ancient and accomplished cultures in the world, have lost the ability to create and maintain beautiful public spaces. We have lost the ability to see beauty in cleanliness. We have become a messy culture that we have to acknowledge and improve. We have to start seeing the beauty in our beaches, lakes, rivers, forests, mountains, cities, towns, villages, roadsides, parks and public buildings. We have to clean them, stop dirtying them, maintain them and create beauty where there is none. We have to cherish our public spaces and take ownership of them. We have to be proud. We owe it to our children and their descendants. We owe it ourselves.
In India we have a garbage problem. Our cities are a mess. Our villages are no better. Our rivers and lakes stink. Visitors to our country hold their noses in disgust and we hang our heads in shame. Why is it so? Why should it be so?
Is it because we generate more garbage than other countries? Actually urban Indians at 600 gms per person per day produce less garbage than the average American at 2 kg per person per day according to a recent news report. Is it population density the cause? There are cities in the world that compare with our cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata in population density, but are not as dirty. New York City is a fairly densely populated city but is reasonably clean. Is it economics? True, most Western industrialized cities are richer and have more financial resources to take care of their waste. But we cannot cry poor forever. Look at poor countries in our neighbourhood who have a better record in urban sanitation. Sri Lanka, a small country in our part of the world, with a political system that is no better than ours, is doing a better job in maintaing clean public spaces.
When we speak of solutions, we often speak of the efficiency, efficacy and sustainability of waste disposal systems. We do need efficient collection systems with source segregation being one of the most important changes. We do not speak much about the transport or transfer of garbage. We worry about the actual disposition of the garbage. Landfills and the space needed for them and the need for waste processing plants are always in the news. But these are universal issues and are not unique to India. Source segregation is a relatively new phenomenon even in the industrialized "developed" West. Even there, except for the Scandinavian countries it is not practised well. Most studies show that segregation and recycling only account for a small proportion of the total waste disposal. Source segregation is a very important activity and we are in no way belittling it. It would definitely lead to better waste management. Our point is that the cause of our unclean public spaces is not the lack of proper waste disposal systems alone. In many countries public spaces became clean long before these waste disposal systems were even thought about.
It all boils down to attitude and culture. We do not have a culture that appreciates the beauty of clean public spaces. This lack of appreciation for beauty in the public space manifests as poor civic sense among our citizenry and poor civic governance from our administrators.
The housewife or maid who throws household waste out the window onto the street or the householder or business owner who dumps his garbage on the roadside lack this appreciation of beauty. Men who urinate on public walls and spit everywhere have no sense of the beauty of clean public spaces. The sanitary worker or garbage collector who spills garbage as he collects them, leaving the street still dirty after it has been "cleaned" has no sense of aesthetics. Administrations that provide open lorries as opposed to covered dump trucks to transport garbage across cities are doing the same. The system of open garbage collection points or transfer points to transfer garbage from local tricycles etc. to larger vehicles is unnecessary and again shows a lack appreciation for cleanliness. If the garbage has to be thus transferred, it has to be done in such a way that it is invisible. That is how most other countries do it. It should not be collected in public spaces creating greater piles of garbage before being hauled away. This is how it is done in many Indian cities. It not only increases the work, it is also a messy way of doing things. The process of waste collection need not be messy. It has to be done in the cleanest way possible.
We also do not see the ugliness that unwanted posters on public walls create. Political leaders should stop their followers from defacing walls around the city with political posters. It is a simple directive, but one that most politicians in India do not have the courage to make.
It is wrong to argue that Indians do not have a sense of beauty. We do. We have the most exquisitely beautiful dance, music and other art forms. We make beautiful movies. Our country is endowed with natural beauty. We have beautiful architecture both ancient and modern. We have beautiful people and beautiful literature. What we lack is the ability to appreciate the beauty in our public spaces and the ability to create that beauty. It is indeed an Indian weakness. We, the descendants of one the most ancient and accomplished cultures in the world, have lost the ability to create and maintain beautiful public spaces. We have lost the ability to see beauty in cleanliness. We have become a messy culture that we have to acknowledge and improve. We have to start seeing the beauty in our beaches, lakes, rivers, forests, mountains, cities, towns, villages, roadsides, parks and public buildings. We have to clean them, stop dirtying them, maintain them and create beauty where there is none. We have to cherish our public spaces and take ownership of them. We have to be proud. We owe it to our children and their descendants. We owe it ourselves.
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Governance and Cleanliness of Public Spaces in India
For public spaces to be clean, we need good civic governance. The lack of adequate waste collection and disposal systems, absence of public toilet facilities and ineffectual sewerage systems all show how badly India is governed from a civic point of view.
We have to be cautious when we criticize Indian governance, because it is wrong to say India has poor governance overall. On the contrary, in some ways India is governed well. It is not easy to govern a country the size of India with its complex and multitude of problems. In many ways the people who govern our country are doing a fairly reasonable job under difficult conditions and should be congratulated. The deficiency in governance however, is quite clear when it comes to civic governance.
The large population and its density, illiteracy, poverty, communal strife and religious sensitivities all make India a difficult place to govern. Yet civilized populations should be easier to govern and India boasts one of the oldest civilizations anywhere and quite complex and advanced cultures. It is difficult to come up with simple answers to explain the deficiencies in civic government in India. Let us explore possible reasons.
1. Population
It is true India is a very populous country. It also has a high population density in its urban centres. The large population indeed places a heavy burden on the infrastructure of crowded cities. Large populations need efficient, adequate sewerage systems and effective garbage collection and disposal systems. It is also a challenge to keep up with the rapidly growing population of cities. For the infrastructure and systems to grow and sustain we need effective and exceptional governance. Unfortunately in this aspect the governance is sadly lacking in most parts of India.
2. Lack of citizen cooperation
No country can be governed well without the cooperation of the population. The Indian Freedom Movement taught us that a nation cannot be governed if the population chose not to cooperate at all. This is more evident in a democratic society such as India. In modern India we see a sad lack of civic pride amongst the general masses when it comes to cleanliness of public places.
3. Apathy and lack of motivation.
Although it is wrong to say that all Indian administrators have a lackadaisical attitude towards cleanliness in the communities they serve, it is safe to say that the vast majority of administrators do.They either do not appreciate the importance of this vital element of a society or they are incapable of implementing their duties. In other words, they are simply incompetent.
4. Corruption
Corruption, especially of the petty kind is endemic in India. It is an ugly fact of modern India. Corruption exists all over the world and is not unique to India. What is unique about Indian corruption is that the corrupt are also very incompetent. It is said that Chinese government officials will take bribes, divert government funds but still get the job done. In India our officials will take the money but will not accomplish the task. The recent revelation about the vast sums of money spent on cleaning the Ganga and Yamuna over a thirty year period without any tangible benefit to society is a case in point.
5. Lack of vision
Governments need vision. Many nations have been blessed with visionary leaders in government who set their nations on a certain course of betterment over long periods of time. Good political leaders define how their countries should develop, envision the end result and set in motion a series of actions that will propel their nations towards the desired goal. Gandhi had a vision for a free India and it was achieved. Nehru had a vision for modern India and although some of us may not agree with all that he envisioned, you have to credit the man with a clear and credible vision for the nation. Lee Kuan Yew had a vision for a modern Singapore that included a clean country. Unfortunately, contemporary India seems to lack leaders with vision when it comes to urban development. They have clear visions when it comes to developing the economy which is important. However when it comes to civic governance that drive is sorely inadequate. The only exception, like him or not, seems to be Narendra Modi in Gujarat where the streets are certainly getting cleaner compared to the rest of India.
6. Poverty
For much of its existence as an independent, modern country India has been viewed as a poor country. However this is changing fast. As the economy grows rapidly, as surely it will after the current global slow down is over, the various levels of government will have ever increasing spending ability. Sure we have a lot of poor people and will do so for a considerable time in the future, but we are not a poor country. Our governments have to spend money to improve civic infrastructure.
We hope the civic governance of this country will improve over the next few years and coupled with a better sense of civic pride in the general population, Indian cities, towns and villages will become great places to live in and visit.
We have to be cautious when we criticize Indian governance, because it is wrong to say India has poor governance overall. On the contrary, in some ways India is governed well. It is not easy to govern a country the size of India with its complex and multitude of problems. In many ways the people who govern our country are doing a fairly reasonable job under difficult conditions and should be congratulated. The deficiency in governance however, is quite clear when it comes to civic governance.
The large population and its density, illiteracy, poverty, communal strife and religious sensitivities all make India a difficult place to govern. Yet civilized populations should be easier to govern and India boasts one of the oldest civilizations anywhere and quite complex and advanced cultures. It is difficult to come up with simple answers to explain the deficiencies in civic government in India. Let us explore possible reasons.
1. Population
It is true India is a very populous country. It also has a high population density in its urban centres. The large population indeed places a heavy burden on the infrastructure of crowded cities. Large populations need efficient, adequate sewerage systems and effective garbage collection and disposal systems. It is also a challenge to keep up with the rapidly growing population of cities. For the infrastructure and systems to grow and sustain we need effective and exceptional governance. Unfortunately in this aspect the governance is sadly lacking in most parts of India.
2. Lack of citizen cooperation
No country can be governed well without the cooperation of the population. The Indian Freedom Movement taught us that a nation cannot be governed if the population chose not to cooperate at all. This is more evident in a democratic society such as India. In modern India we see a sad lack of civic pride amongst the general masses when it comes to cleanliness of public places.
3. Apathy and lack of motivation.
Although it is wrong to say that all Indian administrators have a lackadaisical attitude towards cleanliness in the communities they serve, it is safe to say that the vast majority of administrators do.They either do not appreciate the importance of this vital element of a society or they are incapable of implementing their duties. In other words, they are simply incompetent.
4. Corruption
Corruption, especially of the petty kind is endemic in India. It is an ugly fact of modern India. Corruption exists all over the world and is not unique to India. What is unique about Indian corruption is that the corrupt are also very incompetent. It is said that Chinese government officials will take bribes, divert government funds but still get the job done. In India our officials will take the money but will not accomplish the task. The recent revelation about the vast sums of money spent on cleaning the Ganga and Yamuna over a thirty year period without any tangible benefit to society is a case in point.
5. Lack of vision
Governments need vision. Many nations have been blessed with visionary leaders in government who set their nations on a certain course of betterment over long periods of time. Good political leaders define how their countries should develop, envision the end result and set in motion a series of actions that will propel their nations towards the desired goal. Gandhi had a vision for a free India and it was achieved. Nehru had a vision for modern India and although some of us may not agree with all that he envisioned, you have to credit the man with a clear and credible vision for the nation. Lee Kuan Yew had a vision for a modern Singapore that included a clean country. Unfortunately, contemporary India seems to lack leaders with vision when it comes to urban development. They have clear visions when it comes to developing the economy which is important. However when it comes to civic governance that drive is sorely inadequate. The only exception, like him or not, seems to be Narendra Modi in Gujarat where the streets are certainly getting cleaner compared to the rest of India.
6. Poverty
For much of its existence as an independent, modern country India has been viewed as a poor country. However this is changing fast. As the economy grows rapidly, as surely it will after the current global slow down is over, the various levels of government will have ever increasing spending ability. Sure we have a lot of poor people and will do so for a considerable time in the future, but we are not a poor country. Our governments have to spend money to improve civic infrastructure.
We hope the civic governance of this country will improve over the next few years and coupled with a better sense of civic pride in the general population, Indian cities, towns and villages will become great places to live in and visit.
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Civic Sense in India and Cleanliness of Public Spaces
When people talk about cleanliness of public spaces in India, civic sense or the lack of it is often quoted as one of the prime reasons for the squalor that we see all around us. Is it true that we Indians lack civic sense? If so what are the possible reasons for it? Do they apply to us all or certain groups amongst us? These are questions we need to explore as we try to find solutions to the mess we find ourselves in.
Civic sense is defined variously as the sense of community, individuals feel towards the communities they live in or a complex phenomenon encompassing an individual's perception of, attitude and feelings towards his or her community. It is wrong to say that Indians lack civic sense. After all the Indian population carried out the most revolutionary and largest manifestation of civic action in history during the mass movement for India's independence from colonial rule sixty-five years ago. The periodic Indian elections have shown that our people are quite capable of exercising their civic responsibilities when the need arises. Most recently we have seen it on the streets of New Delhi during the protests against the gang rape atrocity.
However, it is safe to say that we Indians seem to lack civic sense when it comes to cleanliness of our public spaces. If this is indeed true, why is it so? How are we different from other populations around the world that seem to have a better record when it comes to this crucial aspect of community? The answers are not simple, but need to be explored.
1. Selfishness and self-centredness
Not all Indians are self centred, but some certainly are. There is an ingrained tendency in us to put ourselves first over everyone else. There is nothing wrong in that, as it is after all a strategy for survival in a country with scarce resources. If we are to survive, we have to look after ourselves and ours first and not care about others. This attitude is most easily externalized when it comes to the upkeep of public spaces. We teach our children to succeed by thinking about themselves and themselves alone. It works well to compete for plum educational opportunities and jobs but does instill a sense of disdain for the rest of the population. This naturally manifests as a profound disregard for the space that others inhabit. It is easy to ignore the public space. The tendency is to get ahead individually at any cost. The cost of course is to the rest of society. As the economy improves and the nation's wealth increases this attitude might change. The need for such extreme selfishness might dissipate.
2.The public space as alien space
Although Indians are a very patriotic people and most would stand up for their country when the time comes, there is a curious lack of concern when it comes to public spaces. There is a tendency to treat the public space as alien and forbidding. It may have to do with the fragmentation of Indian society along community, caste, religious and linguistic lines. People want their off spring to be "pure" and not get contaminated by other folk. The modern Indian citizen will certainly dispute this, but a close examination of Indian society suggests that this is indeed true. By keeping the public space a scary and unwelcoming place, we discouraged our children from interacting with others whom we distrusted, feared or looked down upon. So we made it an unsafe and unclean place. Our children especially the female kind were discouraged to linger outside their homes. If the space outside the home was unsafe and unclean the traditional Indian secretly liked it. However this is surely going to change and is in fact changing fast. As more and more people, especially women venture outside their traditional enclaves in pursuit of wider educational and employment opportunities the classrooms and workplaces of our country are becoming less forbidding places. They will eventually foster a sense of wider community among our people and hopefully more civic sense.
3. Colonial influence
India was under European colonial rule wholly or in parts for roughly three centuries or more. Even before that, the rulers of many parts of India were alien conquerors. This might have affected the Indian psyche vis a vis its civic sense in more than one way.
a) Denigration by the rulers
Conquerors generally control a subjugated population by several means. Exercising brute force has always been the primary method. However other subtle methods have certainly contributed. One such method is to break the self-esteem of the population by destroying its belief in its values and traditions. By systemically devaluing a society repeatedly they portray themselves as the superior society. Macaulay's famous but erroneous assertion that the whole literature of India would barely fill a shelf is an example of this. Perceived deficiencies in the subjugated nation were highlighted and publicized. One such assertion was that the Indian was unclean. In time the Indian himself came to believe that he was unclean and unable to maintain the cleanliness of public spaces.This is particularly true of the generation that were born in the pre independence period. Everything that was clean and nice was from England and India was dirty. This is something the British instilled in the Indian mind and has persisted post independence.
b) Defiance to colonial rule
In conquered lands the public space belongs to the ruling power and not to the population as opposed to democracies or other forms of indigenous rule where there is a greater sense of ownership of the public space. In the years leading up to independence desecration of the public space may have been used as a tool to defy colonial British rule. However people like Mahatma Gandhi did bemoan the lack of civic sense in our people during the Indian Freedom Struggle.
That being said, we cannot blame our colonial past for every ill besetting our nation. It is time we moved on. It is time to show the world what we can be.
4. Poverty
Profound disparity does exist in our country when it comes to economic means. We do have a segment of the population that is extremely poor by any measure. It is difficult to preach cleanliness to people when they live in squalor because they cannot afford better. They live in the many slums that dot every city and town in our country.When their daily existence is a struggle and an eternal battle for survival, how could we expect them to be conscious of the cleanliness of their surroundings? We cannot wait for the trickle down from a burgeoning economy to take care of them. We need innovative and visionary programs to help them. Every society needs a social net. We have to build a robust one for the poor in India so that they do not languish in ever expanding and ever more congested slums.
5. Illiteracy and ignorance
Lack of proper education continues to haunt the development of India. Although India possesses some the most educated people and brightest minds in the world, it also has its areas of darkness. It has many people who are not aware of the benefits of a clean environment and do not make the connection between disease and squalor. As literacy spreads, and the population gets educated, hopefully this will resolve itself. More and more people will realize the benefits of clean environments and fewer and fewer will stick to the old ways. They will be the vanguard of a revolution that will sweep India quite literally and figuratively. The teachers of this country have an all important role to play in this regard.
6. Religion
We have great religions in India. All the major religions of the world have found a home in this vast, ancient and beautiful land. They all preach good things. They all hold cleanliness as a sacred virtue. Go visit the inside premises of a place of worship in India, be it a mandir, temple, mosque, dharga, gurdwara, church or other godly space and see how clean they are. Hinduism venerates Mother Earth and worships her as a goddess. Then how come this cleanliness does not spread outside the places of worship? Perhaps it has something to do with the asceticism that lingers in the Indian psyche. Indian spirituality has always venerated the renunciation of luxury and poor unkempt men who have given up their worldly life and embraced an existence of want, are venerated as sadhus. Is it possible that the Indian psyche considers the cleanliness of public spaces a luxury and therefore renounces it? Perhaps we feel guilty to want clean public spaces when we see so many of our countrymen languish in squalor due to dire poverty. However this has not stopped many from wanting the best for themselves and theirs in private, including spotlessly clean homes. We have to use the power that religion holds over our people to do good. One such good would be to emphasize the cleanliness preached by all religions and extend it into the public space. The religious leaders, priests and other religious minded people have a great responsibility in fostering civic sense in our people.
These may not be the correct reasons for the deficiencies in civic sense in India. There may be others we do not know about. Whatever the reasons might be, the time has come to ponder and find solutions. We have to galvanize our people to action. We have to foster a culture of civic pride. Let us unite and build an India that is clean and bright. Let us be a beacon to all mankind.
Civic sense is defined variously as the sense of community, individuals feel towards the communities they live in or a complex phenomenon encompassing an individual's perception of, attitude and feelings towards his or her community. It is wrong to say that Indians lack civic sense. After all the Indian population carried out the most revolutionary and largest manifestation of civic action in history during the mass movement for India's independence from colonial rule sixty-five years ago. The periodic Indian elections have shown that our people are quite capable of exercising their civic responsibilities when the need arises. Most recently we have seen it on the streets of New Delhi during the protests against the gang rape atrocity.
However, it is safe to say that we Indians seem to lack civic sense when it comes to cleanliness of our public spaces. If this is indeed true, why is it so? How are we different from other populations around the world that seem to have a better record when it comes to this crucial aspect of community? The answers are not simple, but need to be explored.
1. Selfishness and self-centredness
Not all Indians are self centred, but some certainly are. There is an ingrained tendency in us to put ourselves first over everyone else. There is nothing wrong in that, as it is after all a strategy for survival in a country with scarce resources. If we are to survive, we have to look after ourselves and ours first and not care about others. This attitude is most easily externalized when it comes to the upkeep of public spaces. We teach our children to succeed by thinking about themselves and themselves alone. It works well to compete for plum educational opportunities and jobs but does instill a sense of disdain for the rest of the population. This naturally manifests as a profound disregard for the space that others inhabit. It is easy to ignore the public space. The tendency is to get ahead individually at any cost. The cost of course is to the rest of society. As the economy improves and the nation's wealth increases this attitude might change. The need for such extreme selfishness might dissipate.
2.The public space as alien space
Although Indians are a very patriotic people and most would stand up for their country when the time comes, there is a curious lack of concern when it comes to public spaces. There is a tendency to treat the public space as alien and forbidding. It may have to do with the fragmentation of Indian society along community, caste, religious and linguistic lines. People want their off spring to be "pure" and not get contaminated by other folk. The modern Indian citizen will certainly dispute this, but a close examination of Indian society suggests that this is indeed true. By keeping the public space a scary and unwelcoming place, we discouraged our children from interacting with others whom we distrusted, feared or looked down upon. So we made it an unsafe and unclean place. Our children especially the female kind were discouraged to linger outside their homes. If the space outside the home was unsafe and unclean the traditional Indian secretly liked it. However this is surely going to change and is in fact changing fast. As more and more people, especially women venture outside their traditional enclaves in pursuit of wider educational and employment opportunities the classrooms and workplaces of our country are becoming less forbidding places. They will eventually foster a sense of wider community among our people and hopefully more civic sense.
3. Colonial influence
India was under European colonial rule wholly or in parts for roughly three centuries or more. Even before that, the rulers of many parts of India were alien conquerors. This might have affected the Indian psyche vis a vis its civic sense in more than one way.
a) Denigration by the rulers
Conquerors generally control a subjugated population by several means. Exercising brute force has always been the primary method. However other subtle methods have certainly contributed. One such method is to break the self-esteem of the population by destroying its belief in its values and traditions. By systemically devaluing a society repeatedly they portray themselves as the superior society. Macaulay's famous but erroneous assertion that the whole literature of India would barely fill a shelf is an example of this. Perceived deficiencies in the subjugated nation were highlighted and publicized. One such assertion was that the Indian was unclean. In time the Indian himself came to believe that he was unclean and unable to maintain the cleanliness of public spaces.This is particularly true of the generation that were born in the pre independence period. Everything that was clean and nice was from England and India was dirty. This is something the British instilled in the Indian mind and has persisted post independence.
b) Defiance to colonial rule
In conquered lands the public space belongs to the ruling power and not to the population as opposed to democracies or other forms of indigenous rule where there is a greater sense of ownership of the public space. In the years leading up to independence desecration of the public space may have been used as a tool to defy colonial British rule. However people like Mahatma Gandhi did bemoan the lack of civic sense in our people during the Indian Freedom Struggle.
That being said, we cannot blame our colonial past for every ill besetting our nation. It is time we moved on. It is time to show the world what we can be.
4. Poverty
Profound disparity does exist in our country when it comes to economic means. We do have a segment of the population that is extremely poor by any measure. It is difficult to preach cleanliness to people when they live in squalor because they cannot afford better. They live in the many slums that dot every city and town in our country.When their daily existence is a struggle and an eternal battle for survival, how could we expect them to be conscious of the cleanliness of their surroundings? We cannot wait for the trickle down from a burgeoning economy to take care of them. We need innovative and visionary programs to help them. Every society needs a social net. We have to build a robust one for the poor in India so that they do not languish in ever expanding and ever more congested slums.
5. Illiteracy and ignorance
Lack of proper education continues to haunt the development of India. Although India possesses some the most educated people and brightest minds in the world, it also has its areas of darkness. It has many people who are not aware of the benefits of a clean environment and do not make the connection between disease and squalor. As literacy spreads, and the population gets educated, hopefully this will resolve itself. More and more people will realize the benefits of clean environments and fewer and fewer will stick to the old ways. They will be the vanguard of a revolution that will sweep India quite literally and figuratively. The teachers of this country have an all important role to play in this regard.
6. Religion
We have great religions in India. All the major religions of the world have found a home in this vast, ancient and beautiful land. They all preach good things. They all hold cleanliness as a sacred virtue. Go visit the inside premises of a place of worship in India, be it a mandir, temple, mosque, dharga, gurdwara, church or other godly space and see how clean they are. Hinduism venerates Mother Earth and worships her as a goddess. Then how come this cleanliness does not spread outside the places of worship? Perhaps it has something to do with the asceticism that lingers in the Indian psyche. Indian spirituality has always venerated the renunciation of luxury and poor unkempt men who have given up their worldly life and embraced an existence of want, are venerated as sadhus. Is it possible that the Indian psyche considers the cleanliness of public spaces a luxury and therefore renounces it? Perhaps we feel guilty to want clean public spaces when we see so many of our countrymen languish in squalor due to dire poverty. However this has not stopped many from wanting the best for themselves and theirs in private, including spotlessly clean homes. We have to use the power that religion holds over our people to do good. One such good would be to emphasize the cleanliness preached by all religions and extend it into the public space. The religious leaders, priests and other religious minded people have a great responsibility in fostering civic sense in our people.
These may not be the correct reasons for the deficiencies in civic sense in India. There may be others we do not know about. Whatever the reasons might be, the time has come to ponder and find solutions. We have to galvanize our people to action. We have to foster a culture of civic pride. Let us unite and build an India that is clean and bright. Let us be a beacon to all mankind.
Friday, 14 December 2012
The Causes of Unclean Public Spaces
When our public spaces spaces are unclean, many socio-political factors are at play. It is important to take stock of these, if we are to find viable solutions. Some are citizen related and others are related to governance. Yet others are related to socio-economic development of the country in general.
1. Lack of Civic Sense and Pride
When the citizenry fails to adopt clean behaviours, it is difficult for any government to maintain clean spaces. Littering, spitting, urinating and defecating in public spaces are human behaviours that are difficult to police unless the vast majority of people change their attitudes towards these practices. Penalties and other deterrences work only when a few people err, not when a large segment society continues to defy the rules. For this the general public has to espouse a sense of ownership of these spaces and take pride in keeping them clean. Indians are a very proud people and take great pride in their country's achievements. The different states and regions also have their individual pride. It is somewhat perplexing that this pride does not apply to cleanliness of the public commons. One possibility is that society does not value cleanliness. However most Indian people value the cleanliness of their personal space and have no problem keeping their homes clean. The lack of pride is confined to the public space. We will explore the possible reasons for this in another article.
2. Lack of Governance
Poor governance at every level is endemic in India. Unclean public spaces are a sure sign of a poorly governed jurisdiction. Sixty five years after independence, we Indians appear unable to govern ourselves. Indian governance has been an empty promise - we have a lot of talent, we talk big but achieve little on the ground. How difficult is it to put the infrastructure in place to facilitate clean human behaviour? This is not rocket science. Many countries around the world have done it and are doing it. There is a profound absence of a culture of excellence in government service. The authorities and administrators should have the passion and drive to make their villages, towns and cities better. If you say this to the average Indian Babu, he would think you are mad. That attitude has to change. Elected office and government jobs are not for personal gain alone, but for the public good too. These folks at the present time, seem to lack patriotism, which is very sad. Corruption, the curse of our nation also wreaks havoc in this regard.
3. Poverty
Although India is no longer a poor country and its GDP is growing steadily, it has many poor people. The stark poverty is both urban and rural. When people are dirt poor it is difficult to preach cleanliness to them. It is simply not their priority. Theirs is a struggle for survival. Many people live in slums that are no better than huge garbage dumps and eke out a living as ragpickers. That said many societies around the world are poor but are not unclean. Although there are many reasons why poverty and squalor can go together, it is not always true that poverty-stricken places are necessarily unclean. Even in our own country there are villages that are poor but clean. For example Mawlynnong in Meghalaya a village in the economically depressed North East of India, is often called the cleanest village in Asia. But money does matter as the progress shown in the cities of Gujarat for instance demonstrate. By that measure the economically more progressive states should be cleaner. But Tamil Nadu one of the faster developing states, does lag behind in cleanliness despite rapid economic progress.
4. Illiteracy
Lack of education is definitely a barrier to better maintenance of public places. If people are uneducated, they fail to make the connection between uncleanliness, poor hygiene, sanitation and disease. Our education system has to inculcate a sense of public responsibility in our kids. The culture has to change. They should learn to take ownership of their country. Teachers have a huge responsibility here. We need motivated and passionate teachers. Kerala is one of the more literate states and is also one of the cleanest. So there certainly is an association. Again by this measure also Tamil Nadu should be cleaner than it is.
These are entrenched problems that need to be overcome to achieve our goal of clean public spaces in India. The country is progressing economically and literacy levels are rising. The poverty and illiteracy should eventually decrease. But for civic pride and good governance to take hold, economic progress alone may not be enough. We need a sea change in attitude.
1. Lack of Civic Sense and Pride
When the citizenry fails to adopt clean behaviours, it is difficult for any government to maintain clean spaces. Littering, spitting, urinating and defecating in public spaces are human behaviours that are difficult to police unless the vast majority of people change their attitudes towards these practices. Penalties and other deterrences work only when a few people err, not when a large segment society continues to defy the rules. For this the general public has to espouse a sense of ownership of these spaces and take pride in keeping them clean. Indians are a very proud people and take great pride in their country's achievements. The different states and regions also have their individual pride. It is somewhat perplexing that this pride does not apply to cleanliness of the public commons. One possibility is that society does not value cleanliness. However most Indian people value the cleanliness of their personal space and have no problem keeping their homes clean. The lack of pride is confined to the public space. We will explore the possible reasons for this in another article.
2. Lack of Governance
Poor governance at every level is endemic in India. Unclean public spaces are a sure sign of a poorly governed jurisdiction. Sixty five years after independence, we Indians appear unable to govern ourselves. Indian governance has been an empty promise - we have a lot of talent, we talk big but achieve little on the ground. How difficult is it to put the infrastructure in place to facilitate clean human behaviour? This is not rocket science. Many countries around the world have done it and are doing it. There is a profound absence of a culture of excellence in government service. The authorities and administrators should have the passion and drive to make their villages, towns and cities better. If you say this to the average Indian Babu, he would think you are mad. That attitude has to change. Elected office and government jobs are not for personal gain alone, but for the public good too. These folks at the present time, seem to lack patriotism, which is very sad. Corruption, the curse of our nation also wreaks havoc in this regard.
3. Poverty
Although India is no longer a poor country and its GDP is growing steadily, it has many poor people. The stark poverty is both urban and rural. When people are dirt poor it is difficult to preach cleanliness to them. It is simply not their priority. Theirs is a struggle for survival. Many people live in slums that are no better than huge garbage dumps and eke out a living as ragpickers. That said many societies around the world are poor but are not unclean. Although there are many reasons why poverty and squalor can go together, it is not always true that poverty-stricken places are necessarily unclean. Even in our own country there are villages that are poor but clean. For example Mawlynnong in Meghalaya a village in the economically depressed North East of India, is often called the cleanest village in Asia. But money does matter as the progress shown in the cities of Gujarat for instance demonstrate. By that measure the economically more progressive states should be cleaner. But Tamil Nadu one of the faster developing states, does lag behind in cleanliness despite rapid economic progress.
4. Illiteracy
Lack of education is definitely a barrier to better maintenance of public places. If people are uneducated, they fail to make the connection between uncleanliness, poor hygiene, sanitation and disease. Our education system has to inculcate a sense of public responsibility in our kids. The culture has to change. They should learn to take ownership of their country. Teachers have a huge responsibility here. We need motivated and passionate teachers. Kerala is one of the more literate states and is also one of the cleanest. So there certainly is an association. Again by this measure also Tamil Nadu should be cleaner than it is.
These are entrenched problems that need to be overcome to achieve our goal of clean public spaces in India. The country is progressing economically and literacy levels are rising. The poverty and illiteracy should eventually decrease. But for civic pride and good governance to take hold, economic progress alone may not be enough. We need a sea change in attitude.
Saturday, 1 December 2012
The Sources of Uncleanliness
In Tamil Nadu and India most public spaces are sadly in an unclean state. For an advanced and ancient civilization, it is indeed a perplexing problem. Sixty five years after independence, India still struggles to keep its public spaces clean. Any responsible society should pause and reflect why it is so and find solutions. To find solutions we have to clearly identify the problems. As part of this we have to define the sources of dirt.
1. Littering
Although people litter in any society, it can be safely said India truly leads in this behaviour. Littering is a personal behaviour that can only be eliminated if individuals take responsibility. It is difficult to police and penalize when it is so widespread. The majority has to modify their behaviour. Punitive measures can take care of the minority who would not change. An all out effort should be taken to modify the behaviour of the masses. Education, spreading awareness and fostering of civic pride are essential. Behaviour is difficult to modify in the adult. Efforts should be made to win over children and young adults. Local governments and other agencies or private entities that manage public spaces should provide the infrastructure such as bins and maintain and service them regularly.
2.Dumping
Dumping is the act of transporting ones waste to another site and depositing it in that space. Dumping of some sort takes place in most societies often surreptitiously and is an illegal activity. What is different in India is that it is done quite openly in plain daylight. What is worse is that it is often practiced by local government bodies. This has to stop. If a local government bodies does it, the levels of governments above them should intervene. The authorities at every level must be more responsible. It is an activity that is easily prevented by adequate legislation and enforcement. Stiff penalties should be imposed. Again proper infrastructure and systems to facilitate proper disposal are important.
3. Spitting
This is a uniquely Indian phenomenon. Spitting in public spaces is a curse of our country. Again aggressive behaviour modification campaigns are needed followed by penalties. In jurisdictions like Mumbai, penalties are in effect and efforts are made to enforce them but are largely unsuccessful due lack of behaviour modification of the masses.
4.Public Urination
Urinating in public is accepted behaviour for men in India. It is not so in most parts of the world. Many people who habitually urinate in public spaces would be surprised, if told that what they do is wrong. After all they have been doing it all their lives. This has to change. Mass education and change in community attitudes is needed. By the same token the authorities have to provide clean, convenient toilet facilities and maintain and service them regularly. After that, the ones who do not comply can be persecuted.
5. Open Defecation
It is an open secret that many people in the state and country continue to defecate in the open. Although a shameful fact to many, it is a real problem and has to be dealt with. Again mass education and behaviour modification is needed. Many programs initiated by various levels of government are available and should be utilized properly.
6. Discharge of sewage into common water bodies
This is criminal, but nevertheless exists. This is the rich man's open defecation. People who live in swanky apartment buildings blissfully ignore the fact that the excreta flushed down their toilets ends up in a local river or lake untreated. Their social consciousness is limited to just holding their noses tight when passing these polluted water bodies. Buildings and new housing should not be allowed to be built until the builders have shown proof how they are going to handle the sewage.
If the above problems are addressed, our public spaces will be second to none in the world. It is a challenging task, but can be done. It has to be done. We owe it to our country. We owe it to ourselves, our children and theirs.
1. Littering
Although people litter in any society, it can be safely said India truly leads in this behaviour. Littering is a personal behaviour that can only be eliminated if individuals take responsibility. It is difficult to police and penalize when it is so widespread. The majority has to modify their behaviour. Punitive measures can take care of the minority who would not change. An all out effort should be taken to modify the behaviour of the masses. Education, spreading awareness and fostering of civic pride are essential. Behaviour is difficult to modify in the adult. Efforts should be made to win over children and young adults. Local governments and other agencies or private entities that manage public spaces should provide the infrastructure such as bins and maintain and service them regularly.
2.Dumping
Dumping is the act of transporting ones waste to another site and depositing it in that space. Dumping of some sort takes place in most societies often surreptitiously and is an illegal activity. What is different in India is that it is done quite openly in plain daylight. What is worse is that it is often practiced by local government bodies. This has to stop. If a local government bodies does it, the levels of governments above them should intervene. The authorities at every level must be more responsible. It is an activity that is easily prevented by adequate legislation and enforcement. Stiff penalties should be imposed. Again proper infrastructure and systems to facilitate proper disposal are important.
3. Spitting
This is a uniquely Indian phenomenon. Spitting in public spaces is a curse of our country. Again aggressive behaviour modification campaigns are needed followed by penalties. In jurisdictions like Mumbai, penalties are in effect and efforts are made to enforce them but are largely unsuccessful due lack of behaviour modification of the masses.
4.Public Urination
Urinating in public is accepted behaviour for men in India. It is not so in most parts of the world. Many people who habitually urinate in public spaces would be surprised, if told that what they do is wrong. After all they have been doing it all their lives. This has to change. Mass education and change in community attitudes is needed. By the same token the authorities have to provide clean, convenient toilet facilities and maintain and service them regularly. After that, the ones who do not comply can be persecuted.
5. Open Defecation
It is an open secret that many people in the state and country continue to defecate in the open. Although a shameful fact to many, it is a real problem and has to be dealt with. Again mass education and behaviour modification is needed. Many programs initiated by various levels of government are available and should be utilized properly.
6. Discharge of sewage into common water bodies
This is criminal, but nevertheless exists. This is the rich man's open defecation. People who live in swanky apartment buildings blissfully ignore the fact that the excreta flushed down their toilets ends up in a local river or lake untreated. Their social consciousness is limited to just holding their noses tight when passing these polluted water bodies. Buildings and new housing should not be allowed to be built until the builders have shown proof how they are going to handle the sewage.
If the above problems are addressed, our public spaces will be second to none in the world. It is a challenging task, but can be done. It has to be done. We owe it to our country. We owe it to ourselves, our children and theirs.
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