Tackling the challenge of sustaining an open defecation-free India by sharing and learning about tools, manuals, innovations, experiences and insights developed by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and its development partners.
A report on a national level workshop to share, learn and plan on Information, Education and Communication (IEC) and Capacity building initiatives for open defecation-free (ODF)-Plus and ODF Sustainability in the context of Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) was organised in New Delhi on 19th February 2019. It brought together 56 participants, including Mission Directors and state officials from different states and District Collectors/District Magistrates/Deputy Commissioners from districts including development partners. The workshop was designed to provide and facilitate a learning platform for sharing and learning IEC and Capacity Building Initiatives for ODF-Plus and ODF Sustainability (ODF-S) and for ideas/innovations being undertaken in the country.
The workshop brought together the states to make ODF status sustainable and work on behaviour change towards ODF-Plus and Sustainability, which includes setting up of ODF-S cells at all states and districts; roll out of massive training of masons for retrofitting; roll out of training of swachhagrahis on ODF-S; legal framework for safe sanitation including imposing penalties for OD by GP’s; and the emerging policy on financing for ODF-S. It was decided during the workshop that three more regional workshops similar to this will be organised for states to come and brainstorm the innovations and good practices for sharing and dissemination of selected scalable practical action.
