No Indian leader ever dared to say what Narendra Modi said last year. Spelling out his ambition to eliminate open defecation by 2019 as part of his “Clean India” drive, Mr Modi told a crowd in Delhi that India should build toilets before temples. This objective makes sense, because more than half of the country’s population relieve themselves in the open as many do not have access to toilets at home. This takes a heavy toll on public health and the economy.
As The National reported yesterday, a shortage of toilets costs the country more than $50 billion (Dh183.5bn) a year. Evidence suggests that health issues in childhood have significant effects on adult productivity. The number of people in India missing out on opportunities because of disease in early life is staggering. So it would be fair to assume that improving the sanitary environment will improve outcomes.
However, better infrastructure alone will not help Mr Modi to realise his objectives. The success will largely depend on changing the mindset of millions of people who choose to relieve themselves in the open despite having access to toilets. According to a survey, more than 40 per cent of rural households that have toilets have at least one member who doesn’t use them. This shows that this is as much a cultural issue as it is an infrastructure problem.
Some analysts link this problem with economic development. If so, then how could it be so acute in India, a country that has witnessed phenomenal economic progress? Many other developing countries have dealt with this issue more effectively. For example, the open defecation rate is one per cent in China, 3 per cent in Bangladesh and 23 per cent in Pakistan, compared to 50 per cent in India, according to a report released in May by the World Health Organisation and Unicef.
What India needs first may not be a toilet-building scheme. Instead, the government could work out effective ways to influence people’s behaviour and preferences. It is a colossal challenge, but it is achievable.
