Sociology of Sanitation, April 2023

Sulabh International Social Service Organisation
Sulabh International Social Service Organisation, a non-profit voluntary social organisation founded in 1970 by Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, is dedicated to Gandhian ideology of emancipation of scavengers. Sulabh has been working for the removal of untouchability and social discrimination against scavengers. Sulabh is noted for achieving success in the field of cost-effective sanitation, liberation of scavengers, social transformation of society, prevention of environmental pollution and development of non-conventional sources of energy. Environmentally friendly two-pit, pour-flush compost toilet known as Sulabh Shauchalay that is socially acceptable, economically affordable, technologically appropriate and does not require scavengers to clean the pits and implemented in more than 1.6 million houses all over India that has helped liberate over a million scavengers. Sulabh is also involved in construction and maintenance of public toilets at public places and in slums on ‘pay and use basis’. So far it has constructed and maintaining more than 10000 such public toilets in India and five public toilets link with biogas plant in Kabul, Afghanistan and also constructed 190 biogas plants all over the country. This gas is used for lighting, cooking and in production of electricity.

Sanitation, Health and Hygiene
Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage to prevent diseases. Hygiene is the practice of keeping oneself and one’s surroundings clean, in order to prevent illness or the spread of diseases. Both sanitation and hygiene are critical to human health, survival, and development. Basic sanitation is dependent on facilities for the safe disposal of human waste, as well as having the ability to maintain hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection, industrial/hazardous waste management, and wastewater treatment and disposal. It is more than providing toilets.

Sub-Theme: Sanitation, Health and Hygiene

Sub Themes

1. Sanitation beyond Toilets
2. Sanitation, Social Change and Development
3. Sanitation, Public Health and Mental Health
4. Health of Women and Children
5. Sanitation and Menstrual Hygiene
6. Hygiene in Rural and Urban Areas
7. Sanitation and Quality of Life
8. Good Sanitation Practices and Healthy Homes
9. Sanitation and Culture
10. Caste, Class, Gender and Sanitation Prospects
11. Education and Sanitation
12. Circular Economy in Sanitation