Rayagada: The Gadishesakal gram panchayat in Rayagada has 17 villages and 1,427 households. A survey conducted by CYSD (Centre for Youth and Social Development) found 730 households did not have toilets, and that around half the people used to defecate in the open.
The scene at Gadishesakal was different in December 2018. People did not use toilets although 56 of the 85 households in the village had them. The villagers had the habit of defecating in the open for generations. One of the main reasons for this was water shortage in the village. The women, kids and youth used to defecate in the open although they did not want to do so.
In January, 70 youths of Gadishesakal launched a movement. It was called the Gote Balti (one bucket) campaign. Teams of youths went to each and every household to convince families the benefits of using a toilet, to bring about a behavioural change and to remove the impression that tribals don’t use toilets.
The slogan ‘Gote Balti’ was coined keeping in mind the water shortage in the area.
Slogans like ‘Lota hatao, desha banchao’ and ‘Mo gaon, swachh gaon’ brought about a change in the mindset of the people of Gadishesakal. People joined the movement and started constructing and using toilets.
By March, all 85 houses of the village had toilets and the village is now completely free from open defecation. This could happen only because the youth took up the challenge to identify the problem and were optimistic about bringing about a change. Gadishesakal has now become a model village for the 16 other villages in the panchayat.
Sarpanch Jagannath Panda also played an active role in the movement. “I was pleased to support the youth. I hope all villages in this panchayat become free of open defecation. This is a change that has to come from within. It starts from you and me and the things we do,” he said.
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