In the first quarter of 2010, a Sanitation Sapthaha supported by Arghyam, was carried out in the town of Mulbagal in Karnataka, in collaboration with the town administration. The primary objective of this cleanliness drive was to increase the sanitation levels within the town by disposing off the burgeoning volumes of liquid and solid waste which had accumulated over the years, in every nook and corner of the town. The exercise was carried out under the auspices of the IUWM (Integrated Urban Water Management) pilot being implemented in Mulbagal. It aimed at sensitizing the town community on the importance of developing good practises for the proper disposal of waste. The Town Municipal Council (TMC) of Mulbagal was the driving force behind the activity. The IUWM Project Support Unit (PSU) attached to the TMC coordinated the activity. Arghyam provided additional financial assistance to enable the TMC to deploy additional resources like manpower and tractors which were not available with the town administration. Myrada was responsible for social mobilization at the community level. In addition, informal discussions were held with town councillors to seek their opinion and ensure cooperation.

The activity was inaugurated on the 4th of January, 2010 in ward number 27 (Shamir Mohalla) by the President of TMC Mulbagal. Citizens living in the respective wards, members of the town water and sanitation committees, various self-help groups (SHGs) and other volunteers participated actively in the cleanliness drive. The following deficiencies were identified as hindrances to the proper conduction of sanitation services in the town -

a) Households dump most of their garbage on the streets. Due to the inability of the town administration in providing proper clearance facilities, huge volumes of waste get accumulated on the streets. The problem gets compounded as the roads are narrow and are not planned properly. Thus, the waste takes up most of the space on the streets and travelling becomes inconvenient.

b) Garbage, plastic bags, vegetable waste and various other forms of waste dumped on the roads flow into the drainage system – thus, leading to the choking of drains. Some of the waste is also discharged into the town lakes without adequate treatment.

c) The drainage system has not been designed at proper gradient levels to take advantage of gravity assisted flows. This prevents the easy flow of trash leading to blocked drainage.

d) The drains are covered with stone slabs but are not provided with vents and cleaning chambers. This discourages regular cleaning which further compounds the choking problem thus leading to unbearable stench.

e) Vacant sites and market places have become de-facto dumping grounds for the waste generated in neighbouring houses and shops.

f) Most homes let out black water and human waste into nearby drains without adequate treatment. This leads to contamination of ground water due of seepage. Most households don’t have septic tanks or leach pits. Open defecation is widespread and most community toilets and public taps are non-functional.

g) The TMC does not have the resources to deploy a sufficient number of regular pourakarmiks in all the wards.