India's Total Sanitation Campaign : Is it on the Right Track? Progress and Issues of TSC in Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

The Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) is the flagship sanitation programme of Government of India to reach the Millennium Development Goals. But this programme has not yet achieved its set targets. This paper raises some key research questions like will India and Andhra Pradesh achieve the Millennium Development Goal of Sanitation ?Are the TSC targets realistic? What is the coverage and usage status of the sanitation facilities? etc. Analysis of field data reveals that Andhra Pradesh has achieved a coverage status of 60 per cent but the usage of toilets by households is alarmingly low. The major challenges include insufficient fund allocations as compared to water, lack of effective strategies for demand creation, no or low expenditure on the IEC components etc. For taking the TSC in a mission mode there is an immediate need to restructure and strengthen the Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) and the Panchayats by decentralising powers and finances. The Government should focus on public-private partnerships that can accelerate solutions and enhance service provision. Proper steps are to be taken for demand generation through mass awareness campaigns using the local media, mobile networks and creative advertisements, keeping the principles of human dignity, quality of life, shame and fame and finally the environmental safety at household and community level as central focus. Demand generation, capacity building and IEC strategies have to become the integral part of the system using the Non- Government Organisations (NGOs) or local resource persons or centres. Further, massive programmes like TSC require intense community support and involvement, hence building community vision beyond construction is essential to sustain the sanitation behaviour change.