The following presentation was made as part of the NITI-CPR seminar on Open Defecation Free Communities.

1. ‘Sabar
Shouchagar’
An initiative of Nadia District Administration and Zilla Parishad

2. The Trigger
As per Census 2011 figures, Open
Defecation in West Bengal is around
48.6%
whereas it is just 4.2% in Bangladesh
(as per report of WHO and Bangladesh
Demographic and Health Survey,
2011).
4.20%
95.80%
40.00
%
60.00
%
West Bengal
Open Defecation
Bangladesh
Open Defecation

3. Re-verification of Baseline data: March 2013
Type of family
Total
Households
Households
with toilets
Households
without
toilets
% of
families
without
toilet
Below poverty line
families (eligible
for subsidy)
425386 238020 187366 44.04
Above poverty line
families (eligible
for subsidy)
413370 298727 114643 27.73
Above poverty line
families
201700 163828 37872 18.77
Total Families 1040456 700575 339881 32.66

4. Evolution of ‘Sabar Shouchagar’
Concept
• House to house survey to identify households in
Feb- March, 2013. Identified around 3,39881
Household without toilets access
• After analyzing the data, “Sobar Shouchagar”
Model through Convergence Mode was evolved,
with the objective of enabling Universal Latrine
access.

5. Roll out of ‘Sobar Shouchagar Model’
• ‘Nadia Sanitation Day” was observed on 15th July,
2013.
• Pilot initiated in 17 GPs of 17 Rural blocks
• Sabar Shouchagar model evolved and rolled out to
all 187 GP from 2nd October, 2013

6. Oath Affirmation to make an “Open Defecation Free
Nadia District” on 2nd October,2013 in Duttapulia Union
Academy School, Ranaghat II

7. The Differentiators
 Political & Administrative will
 Mobilization of key stakeholders, women,
children
 and children
 Strategic involvement of Faith based
organisations
 Catchment Area approach
 Involvement of frontline Workers
 Expanding partnership for supply chain
 management involving SHGs
 Continuous Skill Up gradation
 Convergence, close monitoring, review
 Effective BCC for elimination of open defecation

8. Mass Mobilisation
Mobilisation of elected representatives
Community mobilisation, orientation of people’s
representatives, extensive 3 tier training programmes

9. School and children as change
agents: for awareness generation
and spreading the message
highlighting the need for sanitary
latrines to parents / households.
Sanitation pledge taking ceremony
on every Monday in all schools,
since 3rd October
Mass mobilisation
School Children
Faith Organizations
Mobilised Faith leaders
from all religions gather
together for a cause - Open
Defecation Free Nadia

10. Mobilisation of Women
• Increased mobilization and participation of women
• Partnership with Women SHGs/Clusters for service
delivery, 48 women groups functioning as Sanitary
Marts, generated livelihood opportunities
• AWWs roped in for the ‘Catchment area approach’ for
promotion of health and hygiene

11. Behavior change communication activities
Hoardings for a Better Tomorrow

12. 12
Faith Leaders from all religions gather together for a cause-rally for
Open Defecation Free Nadia: 2500 people joined the cause
13th December,2014

13. Mini Marathon held on 1st January 2015: Around 1800
participants ran for dignity

14. Signature Campaign in Sabar
Shouchagar Express on 1st January,
2015
Hot air balloon with Message of
“Sabar Shouchagar” unveiled at 3
locations i.e. Krishanagar, Kalyani
and Ranaghat on 1st January,2015

15. Longest Human Chain
against Open
Defecation:-
 122.3 km long
2.17 Lakh people
participated.
Oath taking ceremony
held to build “Open
Defecation Free” Nadia
Direct broadcast
through AIR to reach
out the participants.
Post- chain meetings
held on 91 Locations.

16. Other Initiatives
• Cluster Toilets:
In case of land scarcity, innovative
technique ushered by District
Administration: Ownership Based
Toilets
• School toilets
222 schools were provided
additional toilets: 164 girls’ toilet
and 58 boys’ toilets.
• ICDS toilets:
457 ICDS have been identified
without Toilet facility, construction
has been completed. Rest of the
ICDS Centers have been provided
universal access to toilets
• Sanitary Complex:
• Urban Shouchagar: Toilets in all
municipal areas

17. Enforcement drive
in all identified
fringe areas
1. Brickfields
2. Roadside eateries
3. Rail and road
encroachment
habitations
4. Houses/ huts as
encroachment in
other Govt lands
5. Big orchards / Bagan
6. Fringes of big water
bodies / leased water
sources etc

18. 'Sobar Shouchagar' - Community led transformation of a district to ODF; Nadia, West Bengal 18
5715
10125
7431 13623 23530
108188
223891
15840 17556 21054
37153
131718
355609
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
400000
2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15
Achievement Cumulative
The Acceleration
Year wise Achievement Report of IHHL for ‘Sabar Shouchagar’
332079

19. Baseline construction : 3,09,886
Outside of baseline construction: 33,503
Urban construction: 12,220
Total Construction of toilets:
3,55,609
Others Construction:
Community Toilets: 175
Brick field: 516
Water bodies: 91
Dhaba:116
Cluster toilets: 73
Our Final Achievement

20. Proud Beneficiaries

21. Beneficiaries with their toilets

22. ODF Declaration and Celebrations
District Level Declaration
Block /Municipality Level
Declaration
GP / Wards Level
Declaration
Catchment Level
Declaration at 6620 AWWs

23. Catchment area ODF declaration

24. GP level ODF Declaration and Celebrations

25. Block level ODF Declaration and
Celebrations

26. Documentation of ODF Celebrations in
prescribed proforma

27. Signature of the villagers
Supporting ODF Declaration

28. Interim Survey
Done in
February
As per
preliminary
findings action
has been
taken in those
areas
Inspiration
Survey
Completed
Preliminary
findings have
been complied
TARU-
UNICEF
Survey
Completed
Access to
toilets - 99.8%
In addition
One
contingent of
Technical
experts have
been
engaged to
find out if
there are any
cases that
have been
left out
Pratichi
Trust
Validation

29. District ODF declaration
and
celebrations
On 30th April 2015,
Nadia district was
declared ODF by
Hon’ble Chief
Minister, Ms.
Mamata Banerjee

31. Awards and recognition
WON- Chief Minister’s award of excellence in Public Service domain on
15th Aug,2014
WON- SKOCH gold award 2014 for best project in the country conferred
on 20th September,2014, New Delhi.
WON- HUDCO award for best practices, New Delhi

32. We are Proud..
Sabar Shouchagar initiative has been declared
as the First Place Winner for the 2015 United
Nations Public Service Award in the category of
‘Improving the Delivery of Public Services

33. Impacts
• Improved health indices as per health centers reports
• Women empowerment - greater participation of women,
increased livelihood opportunities
• Collective behavior change among communities towards
toilet use
• Decentralized institutional capacity for sanitation
programme service delivery

34. Lessons learnt:
• Political and administrative will is
very important for any movement
• Community involvement is the
key to make a programme a
success
• Every stakeholder contribution
matters
• Women participation is the Game
Changer
• Convergence of resources
generates synergy
• No substitute for intense
monitoring

35. Way Forward…

36. Enforcement through “Para Najardari Committee” in
each Catchment Area

37. Role of Community…
 “Para Najardari Committee”
formed at each hamlet
comprising of SHG Members,
local youth and common masses
 They are given I-Card and
whistle
 They visit those areas where
people are known to practice
open defecation and they bring
it to the notice of GP/Block.
 They all motivate masses to use
toilets

38. 2. Water Connection
• Every household where we installed toilets, in
this financial year, will be provided water
connection as per SBM (G) guideline

39. 3. GP level initiatives
By- laws were devised and imposed by the respective GPs
where open defecation will now be a punishable offence

40. 4. NIHSanA ( Nadia Initiative for Health Hygiene
and Sanitation Acceleration)
Malnutrition
High IMR
and MMR
Lack of
Awareness in
Menstrual
Hygiene
Lack of
Health Care
Services
Lack of
Hygiene and
Sanitation
facilities

41. Huge coverage of Sabar
Shouchagar in print media

42. 42
Huge coverage of Sabar shouchagar in
print media

46. Thank you!
For more updates visit:
www.sabarshouchagar.in
www.facebook.com/Sabarshouchagar