Success Stories of First Nirmal Gram Puraskar

First Fully Sanitized Block of India - Nandigram-II

Nandigram II block (East Medinipur District, West Bengal) has achieved the distinction of being the first block in the country to have saturated all rural households with sanitary toilets. The key to success has been the close coordination of District and Block Panchayats and Ram Krishna Mission Lok Siksha Parishad, facilitated by UNICEF with technical inputs for capacity development and IEC. This was supported by State level policies, timely fund allocation, close monitoring and coordinated by the State Sanitation Cell. Above all, strong political commitment also paved way for overcoming obstacles. But the key behind this success had been the promotion of community participation and establishment of Rural Sanitary Marts (RSMs) at the block level to produce and supply the necessary low cost sanitary materials. With the help of youth clubs and motivators, the concept of hygiene & sanitation was successfully promoted in Nandigram block as a result the rate of adoption and use of home toilets have substantially increased. Needless to say, with such pioneering effort in sanitation, Nandigram II block has encouraged others to follow the path towards improved sanitation.

Creating Niche in Sanitation- Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu has shown significant progress in sanitation, not only implementing successfully but also making value additions in the sanitation programme. This is reflected in the involvement of Self Help Groups (SHGs) in awareness generation, and production of sanitary materials. These groups' activities are integrated with other development programme. The State has also taken steps to prioritize the School and Anganwadi sanitation programme with proper school based monitoring system. Girl/women have been given the priority, thus, in schools and community sanitary complexes incinerators have been set up for proper disposal of sanitary napkins and other wastes. Kitchen garden and biogas plant are also promoted in sanitation programme, In addition, focus has also been on proper disposal of solid waste management in the villages managed by SHGs, which has on one hand made the villages clean and on the other hand provided employment to them. The State has given ample focus on participation of community specially women, IEC and monitoring which has led to overall increase in the coverage of sanitation facilities in the state. The output is well reflected in the fact that in the first year of Nirmal Gram Puraskar itself, there are 12 GPs and 1 block who that have been awarded. No doubt, the case of Tamil Nadu presents us an informed model for promoting sanitation.

Success Story of Raj Samadhiyala Panchayat of Rajkot district in Gujarat - Changing the face of Indian village

Raj Samadhiyala in outskirts of Rajkot district is the only Gram Panchayat in Gujarat and one of the country's 38 Gram Panchayats that received a Nirmal Gram Puraskar award for ensuring that every household along with schools and Anganwadis had sanitation facility, dust and litter free roads, and proper drainage.

This Gram Panchyats, 25 kms from Rajkot, has led the way in teaching our cities some hard lessons in sanitation and cleanliness. Raj Samadhiyala is a small village spread over 1500 acres with a population of 1800. But the Gram Panchayat has a fixed deposit of Rs.17 lakh, an amount collected as fine over a period of time from people for dirtying their hamlet by either spitting or littering around. The rules were set up since 1978 when a gram samiti was formed and they have strictly adhered to it. This was possible because of the sustained efforts put in by local leaders and law-abiding villagers. The gutkha sale has been banned; bursting crackers is prohibited in a bid to maintain a healthy environment. Also due to several check dams constructed by villagers, the Gram Panchayat has rarely reeled under water scarcity even during the drought. Villages have also worked out ways to ensure greenery. About 60,000 treees have been planted in the village. There are no sweepers to collect the garbage, the onus being on the residents who take turns to dump the garbage at the landfull site from their respective areas. Cow dung and other wastes are ferried on bullock carts out of the villages.

The people of Rajsamadhiyala -after receiving the price -is winning the hearts across the border with its message of cleanliness. The Pakistan government wants them to interact with their people's representative to develop villages and improve the quality of life. The request came through the Pakistan High Commission soon after they received the award.