Providing access to sanitation facilities and ending open defecation is essential for human dignity, health and well-being. Working towards this important public health dimension, the Government of India launched the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in 2014 to end open defecation. Since then efforts have been made by the government and private organisations to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities particularly in rural areas of the country where the healthcare needs of children and women often remain largely unmet.
Slum areas in the financial capital, Mumbai, are also plagued by the problem of open defecation. Slum-dwellers are often spotted defecating in the open near drains or railway tracks sometimes leading to injury or even death.
To inspire collective action and build safe sanitation facilities while highlighting the dangers of open defecation, the Dawoodi Bohra community’s Project Rise initiative collaborated with journalist and activist Sachin Haralkar to host a five-day photo-exhibition which was attended by government agencies and civic authorities among others.
On the sidelines of the exhibitions, a special Coffee Table Book was also launched to highlight the daily struggles faced by those who are forced to defecate in the open. The book was widely circulated among key influencers including celebrities and sportspersons.
During the conference, the Dawoodi Bohra community announced its commitment to providing toilets for those less fortunate - starting with building a toilet for specially-abled Mangal, a slum dweller in Chembur. Due to the narrow lanes, Mangal could not use the wheelchair and had to crawl for around 1 km every day to access the toilet located in the vicinity.
