Matter of concern

The Dirty Picture

Armed with plastic tambio (local word for tumbler or lotta), tribal women leaders from the talukas of Quepem, Sanguem and Canacona -- led by Women Front -- marched to the South Goa District Collector's office on November 17 -- ahead of World Toilet Day -- and petitioned the Goa government for its failure to provide them toilets. Calling that toilets for every household is an urgent need that cannot be ignored anymore, these women -- who are forced to defecate in the open -- threatened to launch an agitation if their demands are not met. 

This article attempts to bring to fore their deplorable condition.

Its about 6.45 pm and the evening gloom is just setting in. Sitting in their cow-dung painted courtyard, Nilavati Velip (50 something), her three daughters and two neices are just growing desperate. Few colourful plastic tambios (lottas) are lined up under a flowering tree, next to a plastic drum, half filled with water. The wait has not ended yet as it's not dark enough for them to venture into the bushes -- some 500 meters from their home. 

 For generations, most of the 400 odd families in Borigoto, Kannibagh and Dabbem have lived without toilets or sanitation facility. Women here have grown used to holding their bladders and bowels. "Its our every day story," says Nilavati who last answered nature's call almost 13 hours ago. "We go in groups armed with sticks as there are snakes and animals. Sometimes we are stalked by wild boars. Its worse in the rainy season," laments Pranita Goankar, a 40 year old vegetable seller -- staying next door to Nilavati. 

Borigoto, Kannibagh and Dabem are wards of a calm yet picturesque village called Morpilla, situated between Fatorpa (a temple village) and Quitol -- in the Quepem taluka. Predominantly inhabited by the Velips and Goankars -- listed in the Schedule Tribe category -- this entire village, sans a single toilet, defecate in the open. But that's not all! There are about 23 villages like Morpilla, with population ranging from 200 to 5000, which lack toilets leading to untold crisis that contributes to disease, loss of economic output and violence against women.

Back to the courtyard -- the evening light fades, leaving the faces in shadow. Led by Nilavati, the daughters and nieces head towards the bushes. To the chirrup of crickets and the occasional cry of a peacock, they march past the last dwelling in the village and dissapear in the vegetation. Shrouded in darkness, the women seem frightened, uncomfortable and in a hurry to return back home. As they walk back, other girls and women appear in pairs and small groups from the gloom. 


This cannot be Goa but reality is a saddening truth. According to statistics of the Planning Commission, Goa ranks ninth among states and union territories in the country with 20% of the state's households not having toilet facilities within its premises (which means every fifth person defecate in the open) while another 18% do not have access to treated water. 36,251 households in rural Goa do not have toilet facilities within their dwelling units. 

Goa may boast of offering among the best living conditions in the country, but rapid urbanization and unplanned development appears to have caught up with the state. From just five recognized census towns in 1961, Goa had 30 census towns by 2001 and this figure has shot up to 56 towns by the 2011 census. Such a rate of urbanization has taken its toll on the state with 16% households in Goa forced to defacate in the open, without access to even public toilets. 

About 19.3% of Goa's population reported consuming untreated water from sources like wells, springs or canals 'which may not be treated and are less hygienic as compared to tap water. Also, in North Goa, 24.4% households have open drainage and 35.8% have no drainage at all. In South Goa, 26% have open drainage and remaining 25.5% have no drainage whatsoever. Households without bathroom and drainage facilities would mean waste water being disposed in nearby areas/surroundings again leading to unhygienic conditions. Goa also has 10% households with no bathroom facilities andthese conditions are worse in rural areas. 

Stating that lack of access to sanitation facilities puts disproportionate burden on women and girls, including threat to life besides nutritional risks, the Economic Survey pitched for ensuring toilets in each household. The pre-Budget Economic Survey 2016-17, said to ensure safe and adequate sanitation, water security and hygiene -- the objectives of Swachh Bharat -- as part of a broader fundamental right to privacy for women is becoming a serious policy issue. 

Clean India, green India are the catchwords of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan movement of the Central government where Rs. 9000 crore is allotted in the budget to keep India clean and green. "This movement has drawn wide appreciation, though the citizens are taxed to make it work. However, despite our government harping about attempts been made to ensure that 100 per cent households in the rural areas get sanitation facility, the reality is that several villages in Sanguem, Canacona, Quepem, Sattari, Tiswadi, Pernem, Ponda etc are yet to get any such facilities," tells local journalist Neville Mascarenhas. 

While our governments since Liberation have boasted of development and Goa is been projected as the most develeoped of states in India, Women Front was flabbergasted to learn that the very basic needs of some of our citizens are not being met. The front, while conducting dialogues with women living in remote villages of the Quepem, Sanguem and Canacona constitutenices, stumbled upon the criminal reality that villages after villages have not a single household with toilets. The Quepem constituency alone has over 23 villages with no household toilet facility, besides no water and proper electricity.  The trauma most women go through because of lack of sanitation and toilets is magnified a hundred times here with all women and children in these villages forced to defecate in the open.

"It's a question of belief in human dignity, which somewhere along the line we seem to have lost. When we in Goa heard Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi's first Independence Day speech and his assurance of toilets for all within four years, we never knew this is relevant to Goa. Goa goes as a progressive state. Plus we are told about awards won by Goa for health and sanitation. It was during our door to door campaign during election that we saw this sorry state of affairs in our villages," says a leader of the Women Front. 

The lack of this basic facility put women, sick and aged to enormous hardships. The Women Front has initiated a movement to map the villages that lack this basic facility and have already covered villages of Vavurla, Cordem, Benurdem in Quepem taluka besides Morpilla and other villages. Accordingly the Women Front engaged with the villagers several times after the elections and held several meetings in almost all of these affected villages, making the women aware of their basic right to a life of dignity. At this meeting, the villagers decided to place their demands with the authorities facilitated by the Women Front.  So on November 17, ahead of World Toilet Day (Nov 19), south Goa saw a unique protest. Tribal women leaders Vinita Velip, Diksha Velip, Radha Gaonkar, Revati Gaonkar, Laxmi Velip, Raveena Velip, Bage Velip, Kamlavati Velip, to name a few, hailing from most of affected villages of Sanguem, Canacona and Quepem, armed with tambio and placards, marched from KTC bus stand to the district administration office to protest the lack of toilets and sanitation facilities, thus mocking the apathy of the state government to provide them these basic facilities.  

The protest march culminated at the south Goa Collector's office by submitting a petition entitled, The Dirty Picture,  describing the sorry condition the women and children live in and a month's ultimatum to address the issue. "The Portuguese long left the land and we have been liberated. But come to our villages and you will find our plight is all the same, infact worse. Our children no longer want to live there. Our basic rights are denied to us and we will no longer tolerate this injustice," Shabdulem Gaonkar said angrily while handing over the petition with signatures of the villagers to the collector in the presence of media.

"We recently conducted a medical camp in the village of Cordem, with a population of about 700 people, where it was noted that women not only face never-ending sanitation challenges and humiliation on a daily basis, but also endure illnesses like bladder control, urinary tract and vaginal infections and challenges to their menstrual hygiene. Further more, safety and security of women is always at stake if there are no toilets inside houses. We are disgusted at the lack of willingness of the government to address such grave public issues. Let politicians not merely look at us as vote bank and statistic, but as assets who will together help build a better Goa," laments tribal leader Rupesh Velip.  

We need more than anecdotes to bring a policy change. The dirty picture is all over and it’s high time that the government changes its action plan and thinks of accelerating sanitation coverage not only to the households but to increase overall sanitation cover all over the state which is ranked as one of the richest state having highest per capita income. The lack of adequate toilet facilities has been termed a major health hazard by the World Health Organisation (WHO). World Bank found that children exposed to more faecal germs don’t grow as tall as children with less exposure. 

“One probable reason why we remained devoid of this facility is because nobody wants to talk about toilets and sanitation. It is not part of conversations in the villages. And when nobody wants to talk about it, the problem becomes invisible. It is extremely heartening that these women leaders have brought our problem in focus. It is good that it is being talked about now. It is a huge step forward,” claims Jaswanti Gaonkar of Kannibagh. 
Disturbed by the neglect of the villages by the local MLA, Neville lambasts, "The MLA has failed in his duty to provide basic facilities like toilet, sanitation, drinking water and roads to the constituents after representing the constituency for the fourth term. He has no moral right to continue and boast about development." 

Every picture has a story and sometimes the hype created can submerge the reality that looms large across many parts of the state. The insensitivity of the government on the issue of toilets or sanitation is criminal. This is an urgent need that cannot be ignored anymore. The pitiable condition of these villages owes much to the State's reluctance to look into basic issues afflicting Goa's remote villages.