Swachh Bharat Mission still to take off in Jaipur

JAIPUR: In spite of all the glare around the Swachh Bharat Mission, the state government and the civic bodies have failed to check open defecations that continue as a menace even in the capital city. People living in slums still relieve themselves in the open, while the few community toilets built around the city remain locked or unusable. Further, people who have built toilets at homes are yet to receive the incentive amount promised by the government.
Notwithstanding the tall claims of Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC), most of the community toilets in the city are defunct.Toilets constructed in the Jhalana area are choked with muck floating all around, as there is no regular supply of water. Men and women from the nearby slums, venture into forests or sit along drains running parallel to the roads.
“On the outside, it is well painted but inside it remains dirty all the time. It is better to go to the forest than get into the filth in these toilets,” said Sawan Burman, who lives in the Kacchi Basti near Jhalana.
Despite restrictions, open defecation at the Amroodon-ka-Bagh next to the state assembly continues unabated. After facing the chief minister’s wrath, JMC built seventeen toilets there but these remain locked.
Officials confided that maintenance of community toilets was a major hurdle in achieving the aim of ODF. “We are trying to spread awareness among people to use toilets but cleanliness is a major issue. There is some controversy at the Amroodon-ka-Bagh but soon about 200 toilets will be built there,” said Manjeet Singh, principal secretary, local self-government.
Those who willingingly shifted from OD to use of toilets at home are waiting for the incentive amount from the government. A subsidy of Rs 12,000 was assured for constructing toilets at homes.
At the Sootmill Colony, a slum near Bani Park, out of 450 households 350 have constructed toilets. Not a single household in the slum, however, has received the third and final installment of the incentive/subsidy. Only 150 households have received the first installment of Rs 4000.
“I filed my application for toilet subsidy in December 2016 and began the construction work while waiting for the subsidy. The toilet is now built but I am yet to receive even the first installment of subsidy. I have visited JMC several times to claim the amount but have not got any valid reason for the delay in subsidy transfer. There are over 20 other households that are similarly aggrieved,” said Hira Lal, a resident of the slum.
The toilet subsidy is transferred to the beneficiary in three installments of Rs 4000 each. The first installment comes from the Central government, second from the state government and the third installment from the urban local bodies (ULB). The third installment that is funded by the ULB has not been released to anyone in Jaipur.
At the Jawahar Nagar Kucchi Basti, there are more than 800 households that have received the first installment but people here have not even started constructing toilets. Elderly people, women and children in the slums are in misery without toilets.
“Four days ago I went to defecate in the open like everyone else here does. But a pig attacked me and I had to run. Due to my age it is difficult for me to defecate in the open. I want to construct a toilet at home but it is very difficult for me in the absence of financial help," said Chameli Devi, a resident of Nagtalai Kucchi Basti, Jawahar Nagar.