Sanitation Triangle- A subset of Health Pentagon

Good Health(स्वास्थय)=Sum of these 5 elements(Panch tatva) of the pentagon viz. Safe Water(Say YES to शुद्ध and स्वच्छ water not to be mistaken with Bisleri), Better Sanitation(Say NO to OPEN DEFECATION, Personal Hygiene(Say YES to LIFEBOUYS soap), Kitchen Management(Say NO to Smoky chulhas) and Solid Waste Management(Say YES to DUSTBINS and proper disposal). All five are not independent but very closely related to guarantee sound and proper health just as fingers in hand. If you leave one element(~finger), you are unhealthy(~disabled).

This blog would cover a few aspects of the INDEX FINGER(2nd element) i.e. Sanitation and would try to view its inter-connectedness with several issues pertaining in the society through the lens of field reality survey(and not Aerial Photogrammetry i.e.). I chose this finger(no literal feeling, Plz) as 650 million population of my nation(NIRMAL BHARAT) defecate in open(खुला आसमान) as very much evident from this animated picture(Real pic is even stark and shocking).


I don't want to make this page dirty(A-Nirmal/अस्वच्छ/अपवित्र) one as that would be in contrast to what I AIM(impossible) to highlight CLEANLINESS(which is phrased NEXT to GODLINESS). But I, you, we; none of us can deny this fact that we are No.1 in this JOB(winning the ORANGE CAP from China which always has No.1 in all fields).
Thanks to Telecom Revolution(not top forget 2G Spectrum Licenses), the outcome is that Number of MOBILES> no. of Toilets. Isn't it awesome(FUL) and interesting(Disheartening)?

Earlier it was thought that open defecation is a uni-dimensional menace that needs to be eradicated for a healthy nation, but science(माता की जय) has proved that open defecation is closely linked to the following DEADLY evils(राक्षश) namely Sanitation Triangle(MDDS)

1. Malnutrition(M)

Again here we are TOPPERS(+ve co-relation established b/w the 2 MACRO-issues). As per a study, a 10% increment in open defecation can lead to ~1% increase in stunted children(Future Human Capital or National Burden i.e.बोझ संपत्ति). The graph below is the best evidence(even for law to take its decision).

Open Defecation vs Height(Malnutrition)

2. Diseases-Air and Water borne epidemics(D)

A UNICEF report says,
1 lakh TONNES excreta=1000 lakh KG=10^11 Grams=10^7 Virus+10^6 Bacteria+1000 Parasite cysts+100 Parasite(TOO many ZEROES even for a maths guy thus ^ came in rescue) are left unguarded EVERYDAY along river and stream banks, in open fields, on road sides and farms to contaminate water sources, that women and girls carry for ALL household jobs(Drinking, cleaning etc.). How can then one expect the family to be healthy(Khali/Salman etc.)? How can then one shut the doors of diarrhoea(epidemic disease) from the home of poor kids? 
The mother, innocent many a times is the culprit for her son's poor-health OR the entire village who chose to defecate near a water body nearby(for sake of convenience).

3. Dignity and Security(D&S)

Do you think these OPEN defecating people feel secured and honoured? Don't they deny sending girls to schools as there are no toilets(Closed and Separate)?
Dignity does not come with class/money-Thus, Poor and Rich both aspire to have a dignified life, but do they succeed in majority of the cases, Perhaps the answer is in negative. 
Why? Because they perhaps still don't know their RIGHTS and are being exploited(on different fronts using different techniques).
A recent Badaun Rape case occured due to this issue only(if one accepts,"Bachon se galti ho jaati hain"remark). Had they have toilets in home, they won't have gone there which culminated to be the last destination of their life. 


This blog would be incomplete without discussion on Government schemes(in a Welfare State) viz. Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan(NBA); the sole campaign(missionary) on this front that has the potential(सच्ची) to translate/convert all the open defecators to closed bathrooms addict in association with Indira Awaas Yojana(IAY), which mandates construction of house with toilet for ALL but w/o conveying WHY TOILET is required(;as lucidly explained above) leads to the status quo(56% open defecation population). 

Though I did not emphasise on numerous fronts and facts(Govt. vs Real figures) that are available in market, I feel its high time we strive hard for Universal Sanitation ASAP in true sense(not as the government has been procrastinating the deadline from 2012 to 2022 to 2054).


"नहीं तो वो दिन दूर नहीं जब कही भी साफ़ जगह खोजने के लिए 
MARS/JUPITER mission organise होगा"

Saaf Bharat, Sundar Bharat, Swasthya Bharat!!!