Answer: The given case pertains to the continued practice of defecating in the open by many people despite the availability of sanitary latrines in a district, which has already been declared as ‘Open Defecation Free’ (ODF). It reflects the fact that behavioral change is difficult to achieve and it requires the will of officers, continuous monitoring, and emotional intelligence to ensure that the status is maintained in perpetuity. (a) Reasons behind the unceasing practice of open defecation despite the availability of sanitary latrines:

• Socialization and physical activity: People consider defecation in open fields as an activity undertaken with friends that allows socialization, an opportunity for morning walks, a visit to their fields, and access to fresh air in the morning.
• Religious belief and hygiene: Defecation in houses is considered against the religious and spiritual norms by some, as their gods reside in the houses. Bad odor from the latrine, its maintenance, and associated pollution, force people to avoid usage.
• Household norms for latrine use:
  • Toilets are to be used by special guests, the elderly, or only during the night-time.
  • Females of the house do not share toilets with the males, due to associated privacy and honour issues in joint families.
• Issues with queuing: Public toilets are time-consuming. People find it uncomfortable to defecate in a dark room with an unpleasant smell.

(b) As the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), I have the following options along with their merits and demerits:

• Ignore the issue
  • The ODF status given to the district will not be questioned due to my actions. My predecessors and other officials of the district who might have furnished wrong data to claim ODF status will remain aloof from any inquiry that may be ordered. And, I will remain in the good books of the District Magistrate.
  • However, the protection of ODF status will only be temporary. If some media persons highlight this issue, the ODF status will still be in danger.
• Take official action by writing an official inquiry
  • This will help in identifying the areas where open defecation is still being practiced and taking suitable and targeted actions to change the attitude of people in those areas towards the use of sanitary latrines. This will also help in identifying the lapses in the administration, which led to furnishing misleading data to claim ODF status.
  • However, this may endanger ODF status besides disobeying my District Magistrate (DM) who happens to be my senior in the department. The DM may create hurdles in my career.
• Increase vigilance and awareness, so that when verification is done, the ODF status is earned again in the real sense.
  • This will not only help ensure that people change their attitude towards open defecation but also, I will remain in the good books of the DM.
  • There is no demerit attached to this step.

(c) As the SDM, I will take the following course of action in order to serve the public interest:

• Social audit: The issue of ODF sustainability will be raised in the Gram Sabha meetings. There, they would be made to understand that several centrally sponsored schemes have been prioritized to their area, simply because of ODF status. In the absence of maintenance of that status, such funds will go away. So, a careful social audit and ODF sustainability needs to be maintained.
• Vigilance: The Nigrani Samiti in villages and the municipal administration in the cities will be asked to ensure morning and evening vigilances so that nobody goes for open defecation. I would also plan a surprise visit at dawn/dusk in the villages/cities where behavioral changes are not reflected.
• Awareness generation: Involvement of the entire community, especially women and children, PRIs, and key opinion makers such as social workers, doctors, leaders, etc. would be used to spread awareness about the usage of toilets, as well as demerits of defecating in the open. For learning and cross-sharing of information, I would arrange the sessions of key stakeholders with the districts/states that are doing exceptionally well in this regard.
• Incentive mechanism for motivators/swachhagrahis: The role of motivators/coordinators would be reworked in tune with the activities required for the sustainability of ODF status, and an incentive mechanism/reward would be attached to their performance.

The issue highlighted in this case study is a real issue in many areas of our country, which requires high emotional intelligence besides effective persuasion to change people’s attitudes.