Dharavi teens strive for hygiene

For most people, the word 'Dharavi' conjures up the image of a stinking, filthy and overpopulated slum. To change this mindset and to encourage cleanliness and good hygiene in the area, some Dharavi teenagers, with the support of World Vision India (WVI), have started an awareness campaign.

Recently, the WVI and Nirmala Niketan College had commissioned a survey titled 'My City, Mumbai' in two areas of the Dharavi slum – Rajiv Gandhi Nagar and Nayak Nagar. The study revealed that even though there were 546 toilets in the area, they lacked basic facilities including clean water, latches and locks, and electricity.

Speaking about the condition of toilets in the area and the cleanliness issue in general, Sanjana Gound (20), a resident of Vishwakarma chawl in Dharavi, said, "Most toilets are pay and use, but they don't have proper facilities. Many toilets are shut now because they are dilapidated and have no electricity. In fact, many children prefer playing in the toilets instead of using them. This is the major cause of unhygienic condition and health issues in the area."

Starting with 15 members from all age groups, the WVI started helping the locals to spread awareness about the issue. Khurshid Khan (24) said, "Taking up the issue with the civic authorities does not help. Also, a lot of cases wherein women were harassed while in the toilet have come to the fore. So, to make locals aware about the issue at the ground level and to bring about a change in their behaviour, we started performing skits, cleanliness drives and group discussions on various issues. We also try to explain the issue to small children through arts and various activities."

Pradyna Dolare, research coordinator of the project, said, "There is an increase in the number of cases of open defecation, because the people don't have proper toilet facilities. Also, according to Sion hospital doctors, the first cases of dengue and other diseases are usually reported from Dharavi due to filthy conditions there. That is why we wanted to start a survey on it."

Nyan Sharma (19), a resident of Maruti chawl, said, "A few years ago, our chawl residents built three private toilets only for women, so that they did not face any problem while using the basic facility. Men and children go out to the nearby mangroves."

Talking about the recommendations made after the survey, Pradnya added, "Since there is an increase in the number of eve-teasing cases, we need to have CCTV cameras outside the toilets. A lot of awareness is needed among the community. We will collect the data soon and present it to local representatives," said Dolare.