Open defecation problem in India & Design Intervention
Full Problem, Half Solution in rural India
What if the government thinks that a lack of resources is responsible for a particular problem but the actual issue is the mindset of people? This is the exact scenario of Open Defecation in India. Open defecation refers to the practice of going out in the fields, bushes, railway tracks, forests, open bodies of water, or other open spaces to defecate instead of using the toilet.
Why people open defecate?
People are defecating in open spaces because they are habituated to that practice. Human nature is that we tend to resist change. This practice is very old and most of the people in the village follow it. The scenario is changing slowly but still, it is a burning issue for the government. They have many reasons to defecate in open spaces but actually, it’s their habit and mindset. Many of them think that it is a more hygienic practice than defecating within the boundary of the home. They don’t think much about this and they say “chalta hai to chalne do, kya fark padta he”.
Why people don’t use toilets?
People have many ‘genuine’ reasons for that. Some of them are like…
- “Garmi lagti hai…palti si ane lagti hai” (May be Claustrophobia)
- Morning breeze
- Bahar ghoomna and tahalna, exercise (can we do ST in our solution for exercise)
- Khet dekh ate hai
- Bahar jane ki aadat pad gayi hai
- Mental barrier: Ek hi jagah karne se bimar pad jate hai
- Baraat k time sab bahar jate hai…One toilet is not enough for many people (Can we design a toilet that can afford this big no. of people…At least a whole family+ some guests)
- Gaddha bhar jayega…sometimes people lock the toilet to prevent people to go in (Lack of Education)
Any person like you and I surely laughs for such reasons but if we look at it from a different point of view, we can understand their mindsets. We can not force people to change their habits. It won’t be effective. we can develop a solution that complies with their habit so they don’t feel the change as much as now. If the toilets can provide then the mental comfort of defecation in an open space, they will start using them by themselves. Some awareness is necessary regarding toilets so people don’t think like ”gaddha bhar jayega”.
An effort has been made to prevent it.
The government is trying to change this habit of people forcefully. A couple of them are
- Use of drones by police to stop the practice of open defecation in Southern India.
- ‘Nigrani Samiti of Sirsa district making efforts to prevent the practice of open defecation in the whole district.
These efforts are good but until people themselves don’t change their habits and accept the toilets, any forceful attempt can not be much effective. Government should focus on how we can make people use the toilets rather than how can we stop open defecation. If the government thinks about people and makes toilets according to the needs and habits of people, they will start using them and it will automatically reduce the practice of open defecation.
Gaps
The major gap is the interaction people are getting while defecating from the toilet. They are habituated to open spaces with a breeze and the sound of birds. They don’t like to sit in a closed packed space. They find it boring and claustrophobic. Mindset issues are difficult to handle but we can think about how to make people aware that defecation in toilets is not an unhygienic practice. Current toilets are only function-oriented not people-oriented. They struggle to fit within the frame of people who are following the practice of open defecation for so long. Toilets are currently not designed so that they can make people accept them as at least a similarly hygienic substitute for open and far away spaces.
How design can help in it?
Design can be very helpful to make toilets user-centric. Design deals with finding the underlying actual cause of the problem and how to make the solution user-centric. Design can target the mindset and habits of people and instead of changing them, design can provide a solution that can replicate their existing practice without introducing any new surprising element.
Potential solutions
As the discussion is going in the direction of replicating the experience of open defecation, toilets that have natural elements in them can be one solution. Walls can be replaced by actual bushes which are functional too. Other elements can also be the replica of nature so while sitting inside the toilet, the user doesn’t feel that he/she is out of his/her comfort zone.
The toilets which don’t need frequent cleaning or the toilets which can clean without much effort can also be one potential solution. Many people think that the toilet inside the home is unhygienic and they can’t defecate in a space with a bad odor. Toilets that can be cleaned effortlessly reduce such problems and people might start accepting them as a hygienic option to defecate.
Awareness can be induced by infographics but for that, a deeper study is required. We need to find a way for effective communication and people must believe what we convey. Changing the mindset of people has always been a difficult task but by proper study and effective efforts, we can change it slowly.
Resources
https://www.indiaspend.com/after-4-years-of-swachh-bharat-open-defecation-down-26-percentage-points-but-toilet-use-does-not-match-construction-spree-false-claims-evident/
