By MASEMBE TAMBWE in
New Delhi
 |
| Dr Bindeshwar Pathak addressing participants of the national conference of sociology of sanitation recently |
Sociologists in the Indian
Subcontinent have unanimously agreed to introduce sociology of sanitation as a
new sub-discipline at the national and global level.
The Sulabh International
founder, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak told the Daily News that he felt there was a need
for a new sub-discipline of sociologist because of the growing interest the
world is having on sanitation and benefits it has to society.
“It is my firm belief that
the time has come when sanitation should be included as a discipline in
sociology because of the core problems embodying sanitation,” he said.
The importance of
sanitation has also trickled down to Tanzania where recently the Ministry of
Health and Social Welfare started implementing a pilot project in three
districts of Dodoma with funding from the Global Sanitation Fund as well as
launching a national campaign last year.
Dr Pathak, the advocate
for the inclusion into the discipline of sociology defined the sociology of
sanitation as being a scientific study to solve the problems of society in
relation to sanitation, social deprivation, water, public health, hygiene,
ecology, environment, poverty, gender equality, welfare of children and
empowering people for sustainable development.
Sulabh International is an
Indian based social service organization which works to promote human rights,
environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, waste management
and social reforms through education and is the largest non-profit organization
in India.
 |
| The Minister for Rural Development, Mr Jairam Ramesh and the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Ms Meira Kumar were among the speakers during the opening of the national conference on siocology of sanitation |
A national conference on
sociology of sanitation just ended in Delhi where sociologist from around the
country also proposed that the new sub-discipline should engage with sanitation
at the theoretical, empirical and action level.
The conference recommended
that the primary objective of the discipline was to achieve total elimination
of open defecation (easing oneself in the open and not in toilets) and
empowering of the disadvantaged communities.
It was recommended that at
the pragmatic level, the use of Sulabh models and technologies would achieve
ecological sanitation in affordable and efficient manner.
Others recommendations
included the development of appropriate curriculum, literature and plan action,
having a working group under the leadership of Dr Pathak, having a tentative
syllabus and that the Indian Sociological Society should have a research
committee.
 |
| The Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Mr Pankaj Jain (in black suit) shares a moment with Dr Pathak during the closing of the conference |
The Secretary of the
Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Mr Pankaj Jain said during the
closing of the conference that NGOs of the calibre of Sulabh International were
needed to be in the forefront of promotion of sanitation.
Mr Jain said that it
gravely saddened him that India was rapidly inching towards becoming a
superpower with the highest levels of technological advancements, some of the
best doctors yet it accounted for over 60 percent of the global population that
defecate in the open.
“This is indeed a national
shame. According to the current statistics, 67 percent of the rural population
defecate in the open and 13 percent in the urban areas,” he said.
The Minister called for
strong advocacy particularly in the rural areas saying that at least there
space wasn’t so much of an issue like in the urban areas but stressed that
urbanisation needed to be checked and controlled because of the increased slum
areas.
Mr Jain said that the best
way that sociology of sanitation as a discipline could take off is if the
subject started being taught at lower levels in schools and that it should be
part of the curriculum.
He said that the concept
of sewerage treatment plants was still unknown to people especially those in
the rural areas and urged NGOs to lend a helping hand as solid and liquid waste
management was becoming a problem.
Sulabh International has
been operating for over 40 years and has constructed more than 8000 public
toilets at all important places in India that serve more than 15 million people
every day where 200 are linked with biogas plants.
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| Sulabh's twin pit latrine model is renowned across the global for using less water to flush, doesn't need to be connected to the sewerage system and is designed in such a way that it doesn't emit any foul smells |
Training of its
technologies have been organised for officers, engineers and architects to
African countries like Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and
Tanzania where currently there are 13 members from the Chadema opposition party
including the wife of Dr Wilbrod Slaa undergoing training.
Sourced from the Daily News
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