Ira Singhal, 34
Ankita Anand, 27
Civil servants
Young bureaucrats Ira Singhal and Ankita Anand made a disturbing discovery while working on a project in the R K Puram slum colonies. “I was shocked to know that people living here had no idea about toilets. They didn’t know how to use one. They didn’t even know that the toilets had to be cleaned after each use,” says Ira Singhal, a 2015 batch IAS officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre.
Along with colleague Ankita, also from the same batch and cadre, Ira had taken up the challenge of bringing ‘behavioural change’ and ‘community transformation’ to the residents of the two big slum colonies. Their mission was against open defecation. The project, conducted under the government’s flagship Swachh Bharat Mission, was part of a career-centric academic assignment.
The two adjacent slum colonies—Sonia camp and Ekta camp—house nearly 5,000 people and are situated opposite Nivedita Kunj, where many top Central government bureaucrats live.
“No government agency was involved in working for the good of the slum-dwellers or developing the area. After seeing the pathetic conditions there, we started pushing for toilets, which were then built with the help of the Ministry of Urban Development,” adds Ira.
However, the construction of toilets was not enough to make the area open defecation-free. “The residents need to be convinced about the advantages of using toilets and the health hazards of open defecation. Our staff reach the camps at 5 am and stay on till 7.30, advising them on how to use toilets.
We’ve also roped in some NGOs for additional support,” says Ankita, who feels developing a sense of responsibility towards hygiene and sanitation is necessary. A ‘Nigrani Committee’ has been constituted to monitor the areas.
Although the assignment of these Ms Cleans is limited to making the area open defecation-free, they decided to take their mission to next level.
“Community transformation is what is needed for people living in slum colonies. We’re also involved in the health and literacy of the slum-dwellers, particularly children. But they are all unaware of their rights and duties, not even aware of what the government can do for them. They need much hand-holding,” says Ira. They are good handlers for sure.