Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has reiterated that any type of coercive action taken by anybody, including government or elected officials or private individuals with respect to sanitation behaviour of any kind is unacceptable under any circumstance. In such cases, the concerned authorities should prosecute the guilty to the fullest extent of the applicable law.
An advisory in this regard was issued by the Department today after it was brought to the notice of the Department that certain forms of inappropriate actions and extreme coercive actions are still being practiced. In this context, the tragic case of the death of two children in Madhya Pradesh has been reported. Positive behaviour change for the adoption of safe sanitation practices as well as ensuring that no one is left behind are key to achieve the goal of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
In the last five years, tireless efforts have been made by village motivators, elected panchayat officials, community-based organizations and government officials to take up extensive behaviour change communication activities to encourage rural households to stop defecating in the open and use toilets instead. This has led to a massive Jan Andolan that in turn has resulted in an unprecedented change in the rural sanitation situation of the country. People from all walks of life have shown an exemplary commitment towards making India Open Defecation Free (ODF).
This advisory for adoption of non-coercive approach under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) has been issued as a follow up of an earlier similar advisory issued on 25thJuly, 2017 suggesting that the States must avoid any coercive measures for ensuring construction and usage of toilets.
The Government of India is committed to the achievement and sustaining of open defecation status across rural India and reiterates that no one should be left behind and that if there is an eligible beneficiary who has been left out, the concerned State and district should ensure that this basic service is speedily provided.
Ministry of Jal Shakti
[Press Release dt. 27-09-2019]