Shravan Satyen Engineer

UM4000-1

Access to clean, usable and hygienic toilets is a very important issue in much of the developing world. Lack of adequate toilet infrastructure can lead to many serious sanitation problems; exposed faecal matter can lead to any number of a long list of diseases and can cause infection, lead to dysentery, diarrhea, cholera etc and they also make for a breeding ground for many parasites. During the study of Public Toilets and Community Toilets of Shahpur Ward of Ahmedabad City, it was observed that there were glaring loopholes in the Public Toilet contract signed between the Corporation and the Contractor; with no mention of cleaning and maintenance regime and clauses like Termination clause, Dispute Resolution, Laws and Acts applicable and health and safety of the workers were missing altogether. At the same time, it was observed that the Toilet structures of Community Toilets were in a very poor condition while at the same time the users of the Community Toilets practised unhygienic sanitation practices. In order to plug the aforementioned issues a Behavior Change Communication Plan and a Model Public Toilet Contract have been proposed.