Hygiene comes a poor second to customs and beliefs in some villages in the Malnad region of Karnataka where snake worship, or nagaaradhana, is the norm.
Many of the families in rural areas of Tirthahalli, Sagar and Hosanagar taluks in Shivamogga district refuse to build toilets near their homes under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan as they have a ‘naga kshetra’ — a small temple either in their backyards or in their plantations — and none braves the ‘naganade’, or spot frequented by snakes.
All forms of coaxing to build toilets to make the region open-defecation free have fallen on deaf ears as the villagers fear it would violate the sanctity of the place and attract the wrath of serpent gods. Even gram sabhas held to motivate the villagers to build toilets have not advanced the cause, unable to convince the public that they may contract tick fever.
Kollamma, a resident of Dabbanagadde village, said she refused to entertain the proposal of the zilla panchayat officials to construct a toilet. “There is a nagabana in my backyard. Those who violate the sanctity of the nagabanas will be cursed,” she declared ominously. About 300 families in the three villages believe strongly in snake worship.
To build toilets under the Swachh Bharat scheme, financial assistance of ₹12,000 is provided to families belonging to the general category, and ₹15,000 for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families. The Shivamogga Zilla Panchayat has set a target to construct 29,136 individual household toilets in the district in 2016-17 to get the open-defecation free tag, but is finding it tough to get there.
Higher literacy, though
Apparently, literacy has little impact. According to the 2011 census, Shivamogga district has 80.5% literacy against the State average of 75.6%. Further, the district is ranked fifth in the State in the human development index. It is also the birthplace of enlightened writers such as Kuvempu, U.R. Ananthamurthy, and P. Lankesh, who advocated rationalism.
Epidemics are known to break out regularly in villages of Udri-Vaddigeri, Aralasurali, Kudumallige, Bejjavalli gram panchayats, where open defecation is the norm.
Sarjashankar Haralimutt, writer and social activist, said: “The taboo in the minds of the people should be debunked. It is necessary to create awareness of the evils of open defecation and on the need to maintain cleanliness in homes. As the customs and beliefs of the people are involved in this case, the ZP should take the assistance of religious heads,” he said.
Dhanaraj G., Executive Officer of Tirthahalli Taluk Panchayat, said the issue would be taken up seriously.
And for those who can’t build toilets owing to paucity of space, Rakesh Kumar K., ZP CEO, offers a solution: The ZP will construct community toilets on land belonging to the Department of Revenue in such villages.