Every morning, in the wee hours, in Munda Khera village, on the outskirts of Kurukshetra, Haryana, an army of 10 women and children patrols the streets and the fields. Armed with sticks, torches and whistles, their task is to prevent anyone from defecating in the open. They flash lights and blow whistles at the errant person and then, in typical Gandhian fashion, cover the filth with mud. Activities like these have enabled this village, with 300-odd families, to achieve the status of Nirmal Gram, which means every house in the village has a functioning and clean toilet.

The village, an Open Defecation Free (ODF) zone, looks conspicuously clean and hygienic compared to the surrounding villages. Villagers admit their newfound cleanliness has already reduced the outbreak of perennial waterborne diseases like diarrhoea.

This has certainly not been the first attempt at inculcating a sense of hygiene among the villagers. There have been attempts by the government’s health and panchayat departments in the past, but they did not work. Sarpanch Ram Kumar says, “This time, the government involved us directly and explained things to us.”

Spearheading the awareness campaign was Sumedha Kataria, the local Sub Divisional Magistrate. “Being a woman I could empathise with the embarrassment of not having a toilet at home and having to go out. So we gathered all the ladies at the panchayat. One of the young mothers was asked to make a rough sketch of the village on the ground. Subsequently, every young mother was given a pinch of flour and asked to mark the location of her home. Then they were given a pinch of turmeric and were asked to mark spots where they relieved themselves in the open. Gradually, the villagers realised their homes were surrounded by filth.”

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