From: Press Information Bureau Ministry of I&B <pib.kolkata@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 2:51 PM
Subject: Features for release..........1,2
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Rural Development FEATURE
On the Road to Cleanliness and Hygiene in Rural Areas – TSC
Atul Kr. Tiwari*
Sanitation is one of the basic needs of life. In order to ensure sanitation facilities in rural areas with broader goal to eradicate the practice of open defecation, the Department of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation under the Ministry Of Rural Development has been making consistent efforts under the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC). The main goal of the Government is to eradicate the practice of open defecation by 2010.
Strategy
TSC advocates a participatory and demand driven approach, taking a district as a unit to start with significant involvement of Gram Panchayats and local communities. The strategy is to make the Program 'community led' and 'people centered' and the focus is on promoting hygiene and behaviour change, the key features of the TSC include - A community led approach with focus on collective achievement of total sanitation; Focus on Information, Education and Communication (IEC) to mobilize and motivate communities towards safe sanitation; Minimum incentives only for BPL households/poor/disabled, post construction and usage; Flexible menu of technology options; Development of supply chain to meet the demand stimulated at the community level; and Fiscal incentive in the form of a cash prize – Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) – to accelerate achievement of total sanitation outcomes.
Components
For the Provision of Individual household latrines an Incentive of Rs. 1500/- and 700/- for each toilet is given by Central and State Government respectively to BPL households after they construct and use toilets. APL households are motivated to construct toilets with their own funds or by taking loans from SHGs, banks, cooperative institutions etc. Provision of Toilets in Schools and Anganwadis with the cost shared by Central and State Government in the ratio of 70:30. Construction of Community Sanitary Complexes; Assistance to Production Centers of sanitary materials and Rural Sanitary Marts and Solid and Liquid Waste Management.
Implementation
Use of innovative strategies has been successful in enhancing the Rural Sanitation Coverage from a mere 1% in 1981 to over 67% in the current year. The progress made under the program is: Currently TSC is being implemented in 607 rural districts spread across 30 States and UTs. Sanitation Coverage has gone more than three times from 22 % in 2001 to 67 % by September 2010.
Physical Progress
Under the program 7.07 crore individual toilets, 10.32 lakh school toilets , 3.46 lakh Anganwadi toilets and 19,502 sanitary complexes for women have been constructed till September 2010. It includes 3.81 crore BPL household toilets.
Construction of Individual Household Latrine (IHHL)
Here, the performance of Dadra & Nagar Havelli, Puducherry, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Karnataka and Uttarakhand is below the national average of 50%. Sikkim and Kerela have made commendable achievement of cent percent sanitation coverage in individual households. Regarding the construction of School toilets, the performance is below the national average in Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Goa, Nagaland, M.P., Uttarakhand, Tripura, Tamilnadu and Manipur.
Completion Of All School and Anganwadi Toilets by March ,2011
As against the target of construction of 13,14,636 school toilets 10,32,703 (78.55%) have been reported to be constructed. All states have committed to cover all uncovered rural schools and anganwadi with sanitation facilities by March 2011. Mizoram and Sikkim have already achieved the targets set under TSC for building school toilets. Budget allocation has been substantially increased during the 10th Five Year Plan period from Rs. 165 crore in 2002-03 to Rs. 1580 crore in 2010-11.
Financial Progress
The total financial outlay under the TSC is Rs. 19626.43 crore. Central, State and beneficiary shares of the projects are Rs. 12273.81 crore, Rs. 5205.79 crore and Rs. 2146.83 crore respectively. Rs.5870.61 crore has already been released by the centre out of which Rs. 4730.28 crore has been utilized by the States for implementation of the Program.
Expenditure against centre release is below national average in Punjab, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Manipur, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tripura, Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir.
Nirmal Gram Puraskar
Incentives under the Nirmal Gram Puraskar has contributed to the spurt in sanitation coverage after TSC was launched in 1999, average coverage between 2001 to 2004 rose to 3% annually. After NGP was launched in 2004, the average coverage is now increasing by about 7-8% annually.
Constraints
Lack of priority for sanitation in some States; Non-release of State share by some States; Lack of emphasis on inter-personal communication at village level; Inadequate capacity building at grass root level; Lack of behavioural change among some households or members of the household; Inadequate number of toilets and urinals in schools in relation to strength of students; and Low emphasis on solid and liquid waste management are some of the constraints felt.
Challenges
It is expected that approximately 2.4 crore more households shall be covered with sanitation facilities by the end of 11th Plan. Approximately 1.2 crore rural households are being provided sanitation facilities each year. 3.18 crore households, therefore, shall still be required to be provided sanitation facilities in rural areas by the end of 11th Plan. This balance number of 3.18 crore rural households approximately, shall be required to be covered for sanitation facilities during the 12th Plan as per present project objectives. Any change in the definition of BPLs or identification of new households not having sanitation facilities shall change the requirement accordingly.
Difficult Areas
Flood affected, coastal, and hilly and desert areas require focused attention and specific solution. This may also involve development of appropriate and cost effective technologies with credible means of social mobilization.
Solid & Liquid Waste Management (SLWM)
Gram Panchayats need to be motivated to evolve institutional mechanisms for collection and disposal of biodegradable and non biodegradable waste. In pre-urban areas, its usage for toilet flushing needs attention.
Convergence
Integrating sanitation programs with initiatives to improve water availability and health care would increase the likelihood of achieving public health outcomes such as reduction in diarrhea and other water borne & infectious diseases. TSCs, convergence with the rural water supply programs and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) program is of utmost importance.
Personal Hygiene Management
Focus is on provision of hand-washing as an integral part of sanitation facilities in schools and Anganwadis and provision for menstrual hygiene for rural women and adolescent girls.
Eco Sanitation
Once the behavior change efforts now being made through pour-flushed toilets are successful, Eco Sanitation shall be required to be promoted to save water and to close the loop of sanitation through ecological means for which efforts need to begin early.
Disabled Friendly Toilets
Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) cannot afford to ignore sizeable population of physical challenged persons. At least one toilet for persons with special needs would be required to be provided in all institutions in rural areas.
Special Sectors for Convergence/Sanitation coverage
Need of greater convergence of TSC to provide clean and health environment in areas like Railways, on highways and Sanitation and food hygiene at Tourists and religious places, weekly marketing areas etc.
In the wake of these developments the Department of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation under the Ministry Of Rural Development has been undertaking several initiatives to strengthen the implementation of the program. These include regular reviews of progress made by States in achievements of targets set under TSC, strengthening the Nirmal Gram Puraskar by revising the guidelines for enhancing greater transparency and credibility of the selection process. Among the other initiatives undertaken to make the program more effective include the Review of the IEC and HRD strategy for program implementation, Integration of sanitation technology options with TSC by organizing National Workshop and training programs on Eco Sanitation, strengthening the capacity of States for undertaking next generation sanitation activities like Solid and Liquid Waste Management .
It is expected that the new initiatives and measures would provide a further push to meet the basic requirements of sanitation in rural areas. (PIB Features)
| Component | Sanctioned | Achievement |
| IHHL(BPL) | 6,18,38,909 | 3,81,46,127 |
| IHHL(AP) | 6,38,87,805 | 3,25,81,126 |
| Total IHHL | 12,57,26,714 | 7,07,27,253 |
| School Toilets | 13,14,636 | 10,32,703 |
| Anganwadi Toilets | 5,06,968 | 3,46,981 |
| Community Complexes | 33,684 | 19,502 |
*Director ( M & C), Press Information Bureau, New Delhi.
rts/vn/ss-172/sf-172/28.10.2010/dk/kol/14:44 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Environment and Forests FEATURE
Mangroves-Shelter Belt against Cyclone
Kalpana Palkhiwala*
Mangroves are plants that survive high salinity, tidal regimes, strong wind velocity, high temperature and muddy anaerobic soil – a combination of conditions hostile for other plants. They are found in the inter-tidal zones of sheltered shores, estuaries, creeks, backwaters, lagoons, marshes and mud-flats. Mangrove forests are regarded as the most productive and bio-diverse ecosystem on earth, as an important natural reserve of biological diversity. The mangrove ecosystem constitutes a bridge between terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
It is true that mangroves have contributed towards mitigation of the adverse impact of cyclones, tidal waves & sea water surges along some coastal areas of Orissa, Tamil Nadu & other parts of the country, and towards enhancement of fisheries. However, not all coastal areas are suitable for mangrove plantation as mangrove requires an appropriate mix and saline & freshwater, and soft substrate like mudflats to be able to grow and perpetuate. India is home to some of the best mangroves in the world. West Bengal has maximum mangrove cover in the country followed by Gujarat and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The Ministry has established a National Mangrove Genetic Resources Centre in Orissa. Mangrove vegetation has been reported in all the 12 Coastal States/UTs.
Benefits
Mangrove plantation is to be perceived as one of the important components of Integrated Coastal Zone Management. In view of multiple benefits offered by mangrove forests to the coastal ecology and the local population, the Coastal States and Union Territories have been requested to identify additional areas suitable for mangrove plantation with people's participation and augment the existing efforts related to education, awareness and alternative/supplementary livelihoods.
The benefits of mangroves are many. Mangroves are a source of firewood, of wood products such as timber, poles and posts, and of non-wood produce such as fodder, honey, wax, tannin, and dye and plant materials for thatching. Mangrove wetlands and forests act as a shelter belt against cyclones. (In Orissa a few years ago, villages surrounded by mangrove forests survived the fury of cyclones, unlike other villages). They also prevent coastal erosion. They provide nursery grounds for a number of commercially important fish, prawn, crabs and molluscs. They serve as food webs and enhance the fishery production of nearby coastal water by exporting nutrients and detritus. They provide habitats for wildlife ranging from migratory birds to estuarine crocodiles, tigers, etc. The filtering effect of mangrove forests protects vital coral reefs and sea grass beds from damaging siltation.
No wonder some coastal populations regard mangroves as sacred. At the Lord Nataraja temple at Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu, the mangrove tree Excoecaria agallocha, locally known as Thaillai, has been worshipped as a temple tree- Sthala vruksha.
Status
The Forest Survey of India (FSI) biennially maps and assesses country's mangroves spread over 9 States and 3 UTs and includes the findings in the State of Forest Reports. As per the latest 'India State of Forest Report 2009' mangrove cover in India is spread over an area of 4,639 sq. km in the Coastal States/UTs of the country. Compared with 2005 assessment, there has been on increase of 58 sq. km in mangrove cover mainly because of the plantations and protection measures in the State of Gujarat, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal mainly due to activities under the Ministry of Environment and Forests Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Conservation & Management of Mangroves. Decrease in mangrove cover in Andaman & Nicobar Islands is attributed to after effects of tsunami.
In nutshell, there was an increase of 55 sq. km in mangrove cover of Gujarat, 16 sq. km in West Bengal, 4 sq. km in Orissa and 3 sq. km in Tamil Nadu. However, there was a loss of 20 sq. km in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, due to the effect of tsunami in December 2004. This loss stood reduced by 1 sq. km as compared to the previous assessment in 2005. In general, the mangroves in India are well protected, in spite of growing threats by nature and man, due to the efforts of the Government. In fact, India is one of the very few developing countries where mangrove cover continues to increase. This clearly reiterates our belief that rapid economic growth need not come at the cost of protection and growth of our core ecological assets. The Forest Department of Gujarat has done excellent mangrove plantations, in the institutional category for plantations.
Legal and Regulatory Approaches for Protection
At present, the mangroves are protected through a range of regulatory measures such as Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991; Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) studies under the EIA Notification, 1994 for specialized industries; monitoring of compliance, with conditions imposed while according Environmental Clearance, by Regional Offices of the Ministry and State Pollution Control Boards; enforcement of emission and effluent standards by industries and other entities, and recourse to legal action against the defaulters. Mangroves located within the notified forest areas are also covered under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
Central Scheme
The centrally sponsored scheme on conservation and management of mangroves & coral reefs was initiated in 1987. The main activities under the Scheme are Survey and Demarcation, Afforestation & Restoration of Mangroves, Regeneration of Corals, Alternate and Supplementary Livelihoods, Protection Measures, and Education & Awareness. 100% central assistance is given to States/UTs for implementation of approved Management Action Plans. All proposals for conservation and management of mangroves received from various State Governments are examined as per the laid down procedures and guidelines. States are encouraged to form SLSC [State level Steering Committee] to vet annual funding requirements & monitor the work progress.
Major components, assisted under the National Mangrove Conservation and Management Programme, are Capacity Building, Staff Training and Skills, Survey, Assessment and Demarcation , Plantation , Regeneration , Maintenance, Shelter Belt of Casuarina, etc., Alternate/Supplementary Livelihoods and Eco-development Activities, Community Participation, Biodiversity Conservation, Weed Control and Environmental Education & Awareness. (PIB Features)
*Deputy Director ( M & C), Press Information Bureau, New Delhi
rts/vn/ss-171/sf-171/27.10.2010/dk/kol/14:46 hrs.
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Palash Biswas
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