Patna: Even as the number of toilets, owing to special focus under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), in the rural households of the state has increased considerably in recent years, the practice of open defecation (OD) is strangely prevalent.
As per World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, about 50% of malnutrition is associated with frequent diarrhoea or intestinal worm infections as a result of inadequate sanitation or insufficient hygiene. And, according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) 2017 report, Bihar accounts for 22% of the 64 million (6.4 crore) households in the country without toilets.
At the current pace of efforts, Bihar will achieve 100% toilet coverage only by 2033, the report says.
The health hazards related to infectious diseases are linked to human faeces and the exposure to these organisms can cause serious health concerns such as viral infections, diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera.
However, a recent study made by a team of doctors, including A Muthukumaran, Alok Ranjan, Sanjay Pandey, Pragya Kumar and Rajath Rao from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Patna, Vinayaka Mission Medical College and Hospital, Puducherry, and Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, has made an interesting revelation.
The findings of the study suggest that OD is being practised in a majority of the families (64.2%) residing in houses with toilet facilities. Although the ownership of rural toilets increased significantly after introduction of SBM in the state, OD is still prevalent, the study says.
The study further revealed that men, as compared to women, were twice likely to go for the OD. Similarly, people belonging to the SC community and people with lower gross monthly income were more accustomed to the OD despite having household toilets. Furthermore, availability of water supply promotes the use of household toilets. People are more prone to the OD when their water supplies are insufficient. In most cases, the OD was substantially connected to lack of govt supply, borewell use, and hand pumps.
Dr Sanjay Pandey of AIIMS Patna, who is a member of the study team, told this newspaper that mere construction of toilets would not cut much ice, as the rural people are still accustomed to defecating in the open. The people would have to be educated about the benefits of the use of toilets as compared to the OD. The society would have to launch behavioural change activities and capacity building of the rural folks, he said.
Explaining the common psychological factors behind the open defecation, Magadh Mahila College psychology teacher Nidhi Singh pointed out that negative attitude, believes and low awareness about its severe health consequences compel the people to nudge this habit. For many, it's been a preferred way of performing the morning ritual which is socially conditioned since time immemorial, she said.
She said since farming activities are performed away from home set ups, farmers and labourers find it easier and time saving to defecate in the open. In some areas, social attitude and cultural practice of men and women using the same toilet is not preferred, particularly, when women are menstruating or they are bearing child, she added.