With an Alarming decline in water levels, How to speed up awareness on Water Sanitation?

When there are plans devised and ways identified to implement a programme on social media to drive social change by appealing to the various communities through a smart yet simple communication strategy, it is called as sanitation marketing. The present government has used this type of social marketing to the best of their advantage which utilised tools, techniques and strategies almost similar to commercial marketing to persuade a more extensive section of people to adopt the healthy and hygienic practices that can ward off sanitation evils from the Indian society. Through sanitation marketing problems of water sanitation in India along with manual scavenging, open defecation, sewage management have all been addressed creatively and favourably, leaving behind an impact in the viewer’s mind.

Such type of marketing has sped up the process of raising awareness amongst the masses about water sanitation and have an objective of empowering citizens to make informed and conscious decisions by understanding the essence of sustainable living. Though social media undoubtedly is one crucial channel to encourage and assist people bring about sanitation changes, there are other steps equally powerful in delivering positive results when properly implemented. Find out below what those steps are:

● More pro-poor sanitation programmes must be devised to reach a greater number of the poorest sections in the country. Inspiration must be taken from the successfully implemented models by replicating them and scaling up the entire process.

● Investments should be more focused on serving the parts and people of the country who need it the most. In India, more than 450 million people fall below the poverty line with the poorest of sanitation facilities that make them the lagging section.

● More focus should be put on finding cost-effective yet impactful options that provide a safer alternative for addressing sanitation challenges. If the economic growth allows, there is no harm in stressing on higher-cost possibilities.

● The community should always be an active part of any change. More sanitation programmes must focus on involving the community when it comes to driving change.

Platforms like India Sanitation Coalition understand the essence of community-led changes, and focus on putting up an intense fight against sanitation malpractices by educating and training the crowd about the consequences. This body derives its strength from individuals who are willing to be the active catalysts of change along with funders who ensure any unique or innovative solution capable of warding off sanitation ill-practices sees the light of the day.