NIRMAL BHARAT YATRA

It was a sanitation & hygiene awareness & behavior change campaign conceptualized & implemented by WASH United & Quicksand. travelled 2,000 kms across rural parts of 5 Indian states between 2nd October 2012 & 19th November 2012.

With 1,000 Indian children dying from preventable diarrhea every day, India is the undisputed world leader in child mortality from diarrhea, far ahead of Pakistan, Bangladesh or China. There are two main reasons for these preventable deaths and millions more that are left physically stunted, mentally disabled and severely malnourished from repeated episodes of excreta-related diseases. There are two main causes for this daily tragedy in India. First, the country’s rampant open defecation. The 626 million Indians who poop on railroad tracks, roadside ditches and other open spaces in and around their communities every day creating a pile of disease-loaded excrement that very literally would fill Mumbai’s Wankhede cricket stadium to the roof every day. The biggest weapon of mass destruction on the planet. The second reason is poor handwashing hygiene. While proper handwashing with soap at critical times can reduce the occurrence of diarrhea nearly by half, making handwashing with soap the by far most cost-effective intervention to combat diarrheal disease, it is not yet widely practiced in India, a country normally. According to the Public Health Association, only 53 per cent of the Indian population washes hands with soap after defecation, 38 per cent washes hands with soap before eating and only 30 per cent washes hands with soap before preparing food.

The Nirmal Bharat Yatra (Great WASH Yatra, as it was known internationally) format is the brainchild of WASH United and Quicksand Design Studio. From 3 October until 19 November 2012 – the first Yatra made its way 2,000 km through villages from Maharashtra to Bihar, stopping in the following six cities: Wardha (Maharashtra), Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Kota (Rajastan), Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), and Bettiah (Bihar). The following cities were chosen as these are the states with the highest rates of open defecation and least toilet usage in all of India. The Yatra aimed to tackle three primary messages: handwashing at proper times, ending open defecation, and ending the topic of menstrual hygiene management as a societal taboo. Through local, national, and international media, the Yatra reached 230 million people with its message.