Draft Only

Peoples’ Perspective Study on Sanitation

Sri Lanka Field Survey Report

Prepared for the Centre for Environmental Justice by

The Public Interest Law Foundation

January 2011

Analysis and report writing This report has been written by Sonali de Silva and Mihiri Gunewardene of The Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) for the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ). The survey was administered and information collected by the CEJ.

C o n t e n t s

1. Introduction (Background to SACOSAN IV & Sri Lanka Report)

2. Methodology 3. Analysis of Survey data 4. Case Studies 6. Concluding Comments - (to be drafted) 7. Recommendations (incomplete draft only)

Bibliography

Annexures Annexure I - Survey Guideline Annexure II - Case Study Selection Annexure III - Analysis of Survey Data

Peoples’ Perspective Study on Sanitation – Sri Lanka 1. Introduction

Background to SACOSAN IV: The South Asia Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN) IV meeting of CSOs has been scheduled for April 2011. The FreshWater Action Network South Asia (FANSA), WaterAid and Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) have formed a coalition to engage with SACOSAN towards conducting this event. It is envisaged that this would create a greater voice for advocacy on the urgent need for better sanitation across South Asia. It is the specific aim of this coalition to bring pressure on governments in this region to confirm their commitments towards improved sanitation targets set out in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the objectives of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)1. The United Nations (UN) MDGs aims at achieving a 50% reduction in the number of people without “proper sanitation by 2015”2. Further, the year 2008 was declared the ‘International Year of Sanitation’ by the UN General Assembly in 2006 because progress by governments to achieve the MDG goals was so slow3. In keeping with the above SACOSAN has been working over the past years to accelerate the adoption of sanitation and hygiene both in Asia and Africa as it will improve the quality of life of the people. Towards this end SACOSAN works through various mechanisms such as research, networking and exchanging information, promoting projects on good sanitation and facilitating the development of regional and country frameworks on sanitation. SACOSAN I and II were held in 2003 and 2006 respectively to obtain renewed commitments by governments to improved sanitation and hygiene. SACOSAN II also reviewed the progress of the Dhaka Declaration made during SACOSAN I in 20034. SACOSAN III was held in November 2008 in New Delhi and came up with a ROAD MAP (RMP) including a check list for countries to use as a tool both for making progress and self-evaluation. One of the main objectives of the RMP was to enable countries to identify gaps and issues, and record the lessons learnt from past experiences. The ROAD MAP identified five factors that each country needs to plan and fulfill to achieve the MDG targets for sanitation by 2015. These are (i) country commitment, (ii) enabling policies, (iii) effective and accountable institutions, (iv) financing and (v) monitoring and sustaining change”5. It is expected that participating countries will prepare and share information and knowledge based on these during SACOSAN IV and work towards strategies for the future. Civil Society will also have a key role to play at SACOSAN IV. In planning for this event WaterAid, FANSA and WSSCC has embarked upon a programme to carry out research in South Asian countries through partner CSOs and synthesize the results to develop a “Peoples’ Perspective” for the region. The research aims at collecting information at the grass roots on people’s ideas and views on how to achieve better 1 Website on SACOSAN 2 Wikipedia on Answers.com 3 Ibid 4 Website on SACOSAN 5 Guidelines for Country Reports issued by ……………..

sanitation, the success and/or failure of sanitation projects, who will be involved in it and what is the course of action for implementation. The information collected will be set out in country reports and there will be CSO consultation in South Asia (prior to SACOSAN IV6) to discuss these and enable partners and/or national committees to give voice to peoples’ concerns. The national reports will then feed into a regional report on Peoples’ Perspectives on sanitation and hygiene7. The Sri Lanka Report on ‘Peoples’ Perspectives’ on Sanitation: It is in the light of this background that the Sri Lanka report has been prepared. Sri Lanka was not a part of the previous SACOSAN process but has now been included8. The report will feed into the regional report for SACOSAN IV. The Objectives of the study are:

• To highlight factors which have contributed to the success and/or failure in sanitation and hygiene improvement, from peoples’ perspective in Sri Lanka.

• Identify key challenges/issues faced in sustainable sanitation in Sri Lanka. • Present fifteen case studies of selected questionnaires. • Record any other important common issues identified.

2. Methodology The report is based on the results of the questionnaire survey carried out by the CEJ during December 2010 and early January 2011. The survey was administered according to the Terms of Reference (TOR) issued by the …………..Accordingly, the main aim of the survey was to obtain qualitative data (and not quantitative) on identified issues on sanitation and hygiene The questionnaire guideline covers a number of issues including questions on peoples’ understanding about sanitation, solid waste disposal methods, health and hygiene, common diseases, reasons for projects being successful or not, sanitary conditions in schools and in communities (please see Annexure I for questionnaire guideline). Sixty five community leaders selected at random were interviewed from 8 districts located within 4 provinces in the country (please see Annexure III, Table 2). The 65 community leaders were selected from the three respondent categories given below:

• Where sanitation efforts were made and they were not successful • Where sanitation efforts were made and they were successful • Areas where no sanitation efforts were made9.

It was envisaged that the responses of community leaders would be representative of both “the individual and the community groups they represent”10. Sixteen questionnaires were selected from the total sample of sixty five for case studies on the basis of the following: (i) to include interviews from all three categories

6 Scheduled to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in April 2011. 7 Website on SACOSAN IV 8 Website on SACOSAN IV 9 Terms of Reference (TOR) for the study. 10 Terms of Reference (TOR) for the study.

mentioned above, (ii) to include interviews where the projects have features of both success and failure11, (iii) to have at least one interview from each province, (iv) to have at least one from a minority and/or marginalized group and (v) to include at least one interview from a school (please see Annexure II). The survey questionnaires were analysed qualitatively with some data being tabulated (where appropriate) and given in Annexure II & III12. The results of the analysis are presented in this report. For the purposes of this study the definition given below by the World Bank (WB) on sanitation will apply. “Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of human urine and faeces. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in households and across communities. The word ‘sanitation’ also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal”13 3. Analysis of Survey Data (A) Background to Respondents and Communities Sample Locations: As mentioned above four provinces were covered in the survey – Southern, North Western, Sabaragamuwa and Uva. Of these a majority of the sample (34%) were from three districts (Galle, Matara and Hambantota) in the Southern Province. The next largest component in the sample (28%) was in the Uva Province covering two districts (Badulla and Moneragala). The rest of the sample (12%) was distributed within the North Western Province (Kurunegala district) and Sabaragamuwa Province (18%) covering two districts (Kegalle and Ratnapura). The sample in the Southern province related to sanitation projects for communities and/or families affected by the Tsunami of 2004. In the other three provinces there were a mix of sanitation projects at household level, public places such as markets and car parks, and estate line rooms (please see Annexure III, Table 1 & 2). Classifying the sample by sector shows that a majority is in the rural sector (58%). A large percentage of the balance is distributed between the urban and semi-urban sectors (15% & 18%). As can be seen the difference between the urban and semi-urban sectors is marginal. The remainder (7%) goes to the estate sector (please see annexure III, Table 3). Ethnicity, Education and Gender of the Respondents (Community Leaders): A majority of the respondents (91%) are Sinhalese and the rest (9%) are Tamil (please

11 This category was added to the three already identified under methodology because there were a number of questionnaires which had responses on this.

12 The tabulated data in these annexures refers to question 1 and 2 in the questionnaire guideline. 13 http://www.who.int/topics/sanitatin/en in Answers.com.

see Annexure III, Table 4). However, it must be noted that sometimes the communities the Sinhalese respondents (i.e. community leaders) represent have people from minority groups. The Tamil respondents are from the estate sector. As far as gender is concerned a good balance has been achieved with 48% of the respondents being female and 52% male (please see Annexure III, Table 5). Looking at the education level of the respondents the data shows that a large number (92%) are literate and have studied up to the G.C.E ‘O levels’ and/or G.C.E. ‘A levels’. Eight amongst them (12%) have studied up to graduate level. Only a very few respondents (5%) have had no education (please see Annexure III, Table 6). Those who have had no education are mostly Tamil estate labourers. Further, if we take the total sample it can be seen that the 9% of Tamil respondents have low education levels or none at all. Only one out of the Tamil respondents had sat for the G.C. E. ‘O levels’ and two others and attended grades 8 and 9. The others had no education or had studied up to grade 2. Livelihood/Employment of the Communities: The communities could be categorized into nine categories in terms of livelihood and employment. Namely, farming, fishing, mining, trading, self-employment, carpentry, private or government sector work and estate labour. The highest percentage of communities was involved in farming and fishing. The next largest three groups were traders, labourers or were employed in the government sector. The rest were distributed amongst mining, carpentry, private sector and self-employment. Looking at livelihood across the sectors it can be seen that communities in the rural sector were largely engaged in agriculture/farming with fishing coming next. On the other hand communities in the urban sector were mostly engaged in fishing with trading and farming coming next. In contrast the largest percentages of the communities in the estate sector were laboureres and agriculture came next (please see annexure III, stack Table 7). There are clear differences in livelihood/employment within the four provinces covered in the sample. Amongst the communities in the sample within the North Western province, agriculture/farming is the single occupation. However, in the Southern province fishing is the main occupation with farming coming next. The other occupations here are trading, self-employment and, private and government sector work. Also carpentry is reported only in this province. In the Sabaragamuwa province most of the communities in the sample are working as labourers, whilst the others are in agriculture, fishing and mining. Communities in the Uva province are mostly farmers with the next highest being labourers. Trading and private sector work are the other activities reported here (please see Annexure III, Table 8). (B) Sanitation and Hygeine Respondents understanding of Sanitation and Hygiene: Overall a large majority of those interviewed (over 90%) have a basic understanding of sanitation and hygiene, and consider that it is important. They believe that keeping ones body and environment clean, leading a healthy life, learning about health issues and protecting oneself from diseases constitutes sanitation and hygiene. The view was also expressed that preparing food that is clean and safe to eat was a part of good sanitation.

Status in Schools: Seven interviews were carried out with regard to sanitation14 and hygiene in schools in the Southern Province. Out of the seven schools five were secondary and the others primary. Other than these seven a count of 71 schools were reported within the eight districts in the four provinces covered by the sample. This made a total of 78 and these fell into both primary and secondary schools and some were mixed schools. Of the 78 approximately 46 were in the rural sector and 32 in the urban and semi-urban sectors. With regard to toilet facilities in the schools a majority of the respondents (over 80%) said that there were separate and functional toilet facilities for girls and these were being used. Just 3 to 4 respondents said that there were either no toilets in the schools or that the toilets were not in a usable state. In two of these schools the toilets could not be used because of the lack of water. In another school the number of toilets was inadequate and in the last the toilets could not be used because they overflow during rainy seasons. In relation to the staff it was mentioned that usually there were no separate toilets for female teachers and this was a problem. As far as hygiene is concerned it is reported that many schools have a cleaning system which is satisfactory. Once the toilets are built there usually are follow-up activities such as making the children aware of good toilet habits and soliciting their assistance for cleaning. One very successful instance was recorded where the Matara President’s School won the first place in the Southern Province and second place at the national level at the 5- S competition held by the government. The children, teachers and parents were all involved in working towards winning these awards. The children in this school have cultivated good habits such as washing their hands after going to the toilet. There are a few exceptions to the aforesaid on the level of hygiene in the schools. One is the construction of lavatories’ for male students which are open drains with no water for flushing at all. These toilets are not clean, give out a strong smell and are unhygienic. The second is that when the toilets are not functioning properly (eg. no water, flooded or the pits are overflowing) children stop using the toilets as they are dirty. This is particularly the case with regard to female children who don’t use and stay on until they go home. It was stated that this causes a lot of discomfort and stress for these children and is unhealthy. Conditions in Public Toilets: There were approximately 6-7 public toilets in the sample and these were located in markets, car parks, boutiques and trade stalls. These public toilets were within the Southern and Uva provinces and built by the Local Authorities. In general the condition, maintenance and hygiene in these toilets were poor. In a majority of these toilets the pits overflow and the technology applied is not appropriate. If anything is damaged and not functioning it is not repaired and/or attended to for a long time. For example, broken taps and flushing systems that is out of order.

14 The construction of toilets in the schools has been done by NGOs.

In the recent past Local Authorities have hired private companies to carry out cleaning activities in public toilets. Further, a small fee is charged to use it. Hence, the condition and hygiene in some of the public toilets have improved. Nevertheless, there are still some problems and issues that need to be addressed to create better public toilets. For example one of the main problems is the significant lack of awareness about hygiene, proper practices and habits both by the ‘users’ and ‘cleaners’. Some of the bad practices of the ‘users’ are; (i) chewing beetle and spitting everywhere, (ii) disposing of sanitary towels on the floor and/or into the toilet even where bins have been provided, (iii) scribbling and drawing on the walls and (iv) smoking15 inside the toilets and throwing the butts on the floor or into the toilets, (v) not flushing the toilet when finished and (vi) urinating on the walls, on the toilet seats and the ground. Likewise the ‘cleaners’ themselves have little knowledge on good hygiene and clean habits. The ‘cleaners’ are usually Tamil labourers16and come from very poor and illiterate backgrounds. They are in the habit of taking illicit liquor throughout the day and night. Hence, even at work they are under the influence of liquor. Further, they don’t keep themselves clean and their knowledge on hygiene is very poor. As a result they don’t make an effort to keep the toilets clean at an acceptable or required level. Situation in the Tea Estates: There were five estate communities in the survey. Three of these were in the Badulla district (Uva Province) and two in the Kegalle district (Sabaragamuwa Province). Two of the communities in the Badulla district were housed in 16 and 26 line rooms whilst another community was in a complex 300 line rooms. There were 120 persons in the 16 line rooms but they had only two water seal toilets. Hence, it was states that 50% were involved in open defecation (OD). In the area with 26 line rooms the respondent had received a water seal toilet the year before sponsored by FIOH (an NGO), whilst 50% of the community had no toilet facilities and were involved in OD. Generally, it is the men who are involved in OD. In the complex with 300 line rooms there were 1700 persons. Out of the 300 line rooms 250 had been provided with toilets by the estate company and the respondent too had a water seal toilet. Another four households had received the raw material for the construction of toilets sponsored jointly by the Estate Company and FIOH (an NGO). It was mentioned that the toilets were maintained, there was water and the location was kept fairly clean. In relation to the balance line rooms it can be assumed that they shared the toilets. One of the Tamil communities in the kegalle district (Sogamwatte) comprised of 34 families. In this location the respondent and most families had pit toilets. Three other families who did not have toilet had been given pit toilets the previous year by the government. In the second location in the kegalle district (Devala Kanda) there were 10 families and most of them together with the respondent had water seal toilets. Here families who did not have received toilets from the estate company. It was stated that

15 Smoking in public places is prohibited under the law……….. and this could be one of the reasons why people smoke inside the toilets. 16 Those who clean toilets and carry out related work are popularly known as coolies. They are poor and marginalized.

there was no OD in both these areas. It can be said that the conditions in the two estates in the Kegalle district were better than those in the Badulla district. In comparison to the other areas visited in the total survey it is evident that the tea estates have the worst sanitation and hygiene conditions. The people are mainly Tamil estate labourers’ and there is widespread poverty amongst them. The older generation of people is illiterate whilst the younger generation receives some education. The animals they rare such as cattle, dogs, cats and… also live within their premises, and they have poor health practices. Conditions in Tsunami affected Communities in the Southern Province: As mentioned before the largest percentage of survey interviews (34%) were in the Southern province. The number of households in each location within this province varied from 14 to 1400, whilst the number of persons in each location ranged from below 50 to 2000. These are families who lost their house and property in the Tsunami of 2004 and have been resettled in new areas within their villages/districts. It can be seen that these houses inclusive of toilets have been built in haste and under emergency situations. These households have water seal toilets but they are presently not in good working order. There are a number of problems associated with these toilets such as the following;

• Both the toilets and drainage are now dilapidated • Many sites don’t have any drainage system • Maintenance is very poor • Often the houses are very close by to each other and hence there is not enough

space for larger pits (in keeping with the number of occupants) • Waste water from both the bathrooms and kitchen flow into the pits causing

overflow within a short time period • The pits are clylinders of …….diameter of…….length and laid horizontally

and is not large enough to service the number of occupants in the households • The toilets and pits have been built at ground level and get inundated during

heavy rain or when there are floods as they Another important factor which plays a key role in sanitation projects in the Tsunami affected areas in the south is the attitude and awareness of the beneficiaries. They have become dependent upon the government, NGOs and donors for addressing their needs. Although most of them were independent and taking initiatives by themselves prior to the Tsunami they have not yet returned to this state. Mentally they have been in shock and have lost family members and houses and therefore feel a sense of loss. Many have also lost the purpose and motivation to live. Overall it could be said that there still is a sense of insecurity of the future in relation to housing and livelihood. This impacts on sanitation and hygiene too as the people won’t take the responsibility and/or put in an effort to maintain their toilets and drainage systems. Additionally, fisher families (particularly the men) who make up the majority in these areas use the beeches for defecation (OD) by habit and do not like to use the toilets. (C) Common Diseases Reported

To be written later (please see Annexure III, Tables 9 and 10) (D) Observations on Factors which Lead to the Success17 or Failure of

Projects Factors contributing to success It is very clear that projects have been successful where there has been a high level of community involvement and participation in the project(s) from the beginning to the end (i.e. from planning to implementation). Often the community has thereafter been involved in maintenance activities as well. It is also the case that there has been greater success where the participation of women has been high. If the project has been/is accompanied by awareness creation on how to use a toilet, the need for cleanliness and hygiene in its use and related factors then there is greater propensity towards being successful and sustainable. A good example is a project carried out by Set Gold an NGO in Welimada, Badulla in the Uva Province. Here an awareness programme was also carried out along with the construction of toilets - including the display of posters on the toilet doors. This proved to be effective and successful. One of the main reasons for project success has been the availability of adequate funds whether sponsored by the government/NGO/other and its proper utilization and targeting. This is further enhanced when people have had a say in fund utilization. In relation to public toilets built by Local Authorities and Provincial Councils both public participation and continued supervision by officers of these agencies vis-à-vis the functioning and maintenance of the system (including the supply of water and electricity) plays a key role in the success of a project (s). It has been very successful when and where projects have been planned well and implemented step by step with supervision and monitoring. Projects which are planned and implemented in an adhoc manner and in haste have not been very successful in the long-run. When and where the most appropriate technology and designs have been used based on the needs of the community and the environmental/geographical conditions in the area, projects have been successful. For example, pit toilets measuring approximately 6’ x 20’ and built with bricks and cement in the Uva province have been successful.

17 It must be noted, however, that no project can be classified as 100% successful. For the purposes of this study a project is classified as successful when there has been around 80% effective implementation and functioning of the system.

The survey information indicates that projects have been successful when both sanitation and water supply are addressed simultaneously or later. Sometimes such projects have been done by one NGO alone and/or two NGOs working together. Three examples can be given from the Kurunegala district in the North Western Province; (i) Plan International gave Rs. 6000/= per family to a community at allagamuwa in 2001 to build toilets under their supervision and in 2004 provided them with tap water; (ii) the GTZ and Plan International worked together to provide drinking water and agro-wells, and toilets respectively to a community at Hiripitiya and (iii) Plan International gave Rs. 10,000 per family to a community at Makulpotha to build toilets under supervision and provided drinking water wells later. Factors contributing to Failure It is evident that where there has been less community participation in project planning and implementation there is greater potential for failure and/or breakdown of the system18. Some projects fail to materialize because of the (i) application of inappropriate technology, (ii) absence of technical advise, and (iii) monitoring and supervision throughout the project construction period. The lack of a proper understanding of the geographical and environmental conditions of an area is an additional factor. An example of a combination of the above factors is the construction of water seal individual (squatting) toilets in areas which are prone to flooding. At such times some people stop using the toilets as they are flooded and yet others continue to use them even under these conditions. It can be said that those who continue to use them have no other alternative. The latter is unhygienic and can lead to the spread of various diseases. Another example is where the private sector has given donations for sanitation but not supervised the project resulting in failure. There are instances where the toilet pits fill up and overflows within a short period for individual households with more than 4-5 members. The people state that this is because the toilet pits are not large enough. To clean the pit(s) a sum of Rs. 3000/= has to be paid to the Local Authority and this is a cost that they cannot bear19. If a proper and effective drainage system is not built along with the public and/or individual toilets it is prone to malfunctioning and failure. Interference particularly by politicians in the area is an important factor that leads to the failure of a project(s). Very often project funds given by the government and/or donors are directed to the communities through the politicians in the area. Sometimes it is even directed through community leaders in the area. This results in a number of problems; (i) only part of the funds go to the community and it is not enough to build

18 For example, where an NGO intervenes and builds individual toilets under emergency conditions such as the post-tsunami period without consulting the people and obtaining their participation. There is no clear evidence on this but it can be implied from the responses given in the survey. 19 An example of this is where a project was carried out by an NGO in 2005 in Dadella East, Galle to build individual toilets for a community involved in fishing and self-employment within this sector.

and complete the project20, (ii) people use cheap raw materials and fittings which don’t last long because the funds are inadequate and (iii) funds are given to contractors known to the politicians and/or community leaders and they use sub-standard materials and fittings which don’t function properly and is not long lasting. In such cases the projects are initiated but never completed. There are many instances where the funds allocated for a project is not adequate to be distributed among the number of persons/households in the area (too little money for too many people). In such cases the funds received by the individuals have proven to be inadequate for putting in place a good sanitation system. In a number of instances projects have failed and/or have had a greater propensity to fail because of the ‘don’t care’ attitude and negligence of the beneficiaries. This is the case in particular where the sanitation facilities have been given free. A good example is the sanitation projects carried out in the Southern Province for families affected by the Tsunami of 2005. It was evident from the research that the people did not carry out any (or even the minimum) maintenance activities to keep their toilets clean and functioning. They expect everything to be done by the government, NGOs or donors involved. Those living along the coastlines who are fishermen don’t change their habits and practices in relation to defecation. Additionally, they are not aware of how to use a toilet. Hence, even when sanitation projects are implemented a large percentage of the fishermen still practice ‘open defecation’ (OD) on the beech. For example, this was the case in the project sites visited in the Southern province. Negative aspects within successful projects which can lead to failure In general projects are initiated and there is visible result and to this extent it is successful. However, in the medium and long-term they become unclean and unusable due to the lack of maintenance and/or the lack of water. A good example is public toilet built by the government in the Hambantota market in the Southern Province which is unclean and infested with worms. To be written 4. Case Studies Sanitary projects which can be classified as successful Case No 1 Gayani Mendis

20 For example, in Mavilagastenna in Badulla people were given the first Rs. 5000/=……..years back. They are still waiting for the balance of another Rs. 5000/= to be given to them to complete the work.

Gayani Mendis is a resident of Walawwatte a semi urban area in Galle in the Southern Province. There are about 500 houses in this area and the total number of persons is about 2200. The community in this area is engaged in the fisheries industry. She is educated up to G C E Ordinary Level and sanitation to her means to live in good health. There are water sealed toilets in the houses in her area and drainage is through open drains. Toilets are available in all the new houses given to these Tsunami victims. The Urban Council collects solid waste for disposal. Some people dispose solid waste through open burning. According to her the schools in her area have toilets and the students use these toilets at present. Gayani thinks that sanitation is important to minimize diseases. Since it has an impact on health she feels that separate toilet facilities should be available for each house. People without toilet facilities will be cornered by the others and they will face difficulties when entertaining visitors. People in her area are aware of the importance of home, personal and food hygiene. Everybody wash their hands before meals and after using toilets. Women in her village use sanitary towels and cloth napkins during menstruation and the continuous usage of the same towel poses a health threat to some women. Helpo, an NGO implemented a sanitation project in this village in 2005 under which complete toilets were constructed in each house. She considers this project to be a success and thinks that it helped to minimize diseases and to improve the cleanliness of the area as it is free of litter now. According to her, availability of adequate funds, community participation and women’s participation and their leadership are the reasons for the success of the project. She believes that the existing drains need to be repaired and maintained for the continued success of the sanitation project. She feels that the state agencies and NGOs must intervene in ensuring better sanitation. She says that the community must ensure that the drains are kept clean. Enumerator’s Observations: The village is clean and the people do not have the habit of defecating in open. Case No 2 Vipul Wijayadasa Walawatte Maha Vidyalaya is a rural school situated in the Ambalantota Divisional Secretariat area in the District of Hambantota. There are about 168 students in this government school which is categorized as a Maha Vidyalaya. It is a mixed school. To Mr. Vipul Wijayadasa, a graduate teacher attached to the school, sanitation means living a healthy life in a well conserved and clean environment. In his school there are water sealed toilets for the separate use of teachers and students. Separate toilets are available for males and females. They make compost out of the degradable solid waste generated in the school. Drainage is through open drains which have not been properly constructed. He says that sanitation is important in many ways as it will reduce diseases ensuring better health, helps to reduce poverty, increases the level of education and helps to lead a dignified life.

He says that adoption of a resolution recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly is important as water and sanitation is vital for a healthy generation. He says that it is important to have separate toilets for male and female students in rural schools. According to him the poor female students use cloth napkins during menstruation which poses a threat to their health. According to Mr. Wijayadasa, an NGO has provided financial assistance to build the 6 toilets in the school. The students help to maintain the toilets and he is happy that there is an adequate supply of water for cleaning purposes. He says that it is important to have separate toilets for male and female teachers located separately if the current conditions on sanitations are to be maintained. Enumerator’s Observations: There is no defecating in open in and around the school. Case No 3 H A Chandana Mr. H A Chandana who represents the Uva Province earns a living by working at the Bandarawela Urban Trade Centre. There are about 135 trade stalls in the Urban Trade Centre and about 1500 people use its common toilets daily. According to Mr. Chandana who is educated up to GCE Ordinary Level, sanitation means to maintain cleanliness in day to day life. The common toilets at the Urban Trade Centre consist of 9 toilets and 6 lavatories for males and 6 toilets for women. These toilets and lavatories are cleaned 4 times a day. Drainage in the Urban Trade Centre is through open drains and the Urban Council collects solid waste for disposal. Mr. Chandana sees the public’s lack of knowledge to use commodes as a problem. Schools in his area have toilets that are being used by the students. There are separate toilets for males and females. Mr. Chandana feels that in order to lead a good life sanitation is an important requirement. He also feels that it is important to wear clean clothes. He says that sanitation is important as it helps to reduce diseases, has a direct impact on education, helps to lead a dignified life and helps to reduce poverty. Considering the United Nations’ standards, it is the duty of the Sri Lankan Government to ensure access to water and sanitation. According to Mr. Chandana disposal of sanitary towels in public toilets is an unpleasant thing. (Although not mentioned, according to this statement it can be assumed that he is a janitor).Mr. Chandana shows the importance of establishing mobile toilets in the area because the need to defecate is some thing that is beyond the control of any one.

Mr. Chandana says that the sanitation project in the area was implemented by the Urban Council. It was implemented in 2003 and consists of complete toilet units. According to him the reasons for the success of this project are the availability of adequate funds, consulting the community at its implementation stage and participation of officials and community members in maintenance activities. It is important to create public awareness on the use of toilets which will help to make sanitation projects successful. Further, he says that a mechanism should be set up to monitor the cleanliness of toilets. Mr. Chandana says that by improving sanitation facilities, it is possible to reduce the spread of diseases and to keep the city clean. He also feels that controlling stray dogs is also important in this connection. He shows the importance of law enforcement as well. Mr. Chandana says that the contribution that the community can make towards the successful implementation of sanitation projects is to properly clean the toilets once used and to prevent from harming common properties. The State agencies must take the responsibility of creating public awareness on these issues and enforce the relevant laws and punish the offenders. The NGOs also play an important role in creating public awareness on sanitation. Enumerator’s Observations: The Urban Trade Centre and its surroundings are clean and the toilet facilities are adequate. Case No 4 H B Udagearachchi Mr. H B Udagearachchi is a retired Principal. He is a resident of Rawa Ella in the Kurunegala district in the North Western Province. There are about 200 people in his village and their main livelihood is agriculture. Living a healthy life free of diseases is what he means by sanitation. He says that there are water sealed toilets in almost all the houses in his village and drainage is through open drains. Drinking water is distributed through pipes. Solid waste disposal is through open burning and burying. The school in his area has toilets for students which are being used at present and separate toilets are available for males and females. He says that sanitation and water are vital for living. According to him sanitation is important to reduce the spreading of diseases, for education, to lead a dignified life and to reduce poverty. He says that the people in his village are aware of washing hands and food hygiene. According to Mr. Udagearachchi, women in the village use sanitary towels during menstruation and their day to day activities are affected to some extent during such times. Plan Sri Lanka, an NGO implemented a drinking water project in 2008 and a sanitation project in 2009. Under these projects Plan Sri Lanka provided funds and

material to build drinking water facilities for 68 houses and 83 toilets. Further, 4 drinking water wells were constructed. He feels that the availability of sanitation facilities and drinking water has improved the quality of sanitation and hygiene in the village. According to him the projects were a success because of the availability of adequate funds, community participation in decision making and implementation of projects and maintenance thereof. Because of the project the economic status of the community has improved, diseases are much less and the environment is pleasant. Non availability of sanitation facilities is unsatisfactory and it could lead to a situation where those who do not have such facilities will be blamed by the others for bad sanitation practices. For the continued success of the projects creating public awareness on sanitation and a continuous supply of drinking water are essential. He feels that drinking water quality also should be maintained. The people must aim at improving sanitation at a personal level and the government must create public awareness on sanitation. He also says that NGOs must help in providing sanitation facilities for the new houses that are being built in the area. Enumerator’s Observations: The village is clean and people do not have the habit of defecating in open. The cleanliness of the village is also due to the fact that this village is a rural area with ample space for the proper disposal of waste. Case No 5 T. Murthi The Free Trade Centre is located in the urban area of Bandarawela in the district of Badulla. Daily, about 1300 people use the common toilets at the Free Trade Centre. What is meant by sanitation to me is to lead a healthy life. Sanitation is important as it helps to reduce diseases, helps to reduce poverty, helps to lead a dignified life and increases the level of education. Except for a few, majority of us are aware of the importance of home and personal hygiene, food hygiene and safe water handling and washing of hands. As water and sanitation are very important for us adopting a resolution recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right by the United Nations General assembly is a positive step taken. We have a water sealed sewerage system and drainage is through open drains. Here, people do not have the habit of defecating in open. All schools in the area have toilets that are being used at present. There are separate toilets for males and females. Generally, women in the trade centre use sanitary towels during menstruation. Disposing used towels through toilets has become a problem as it blocks the system.

In 2000, the Bandarawela Urban Council implemented the sanitation project at the Free Trade Centre. There are 13 water sealed toilets. As a result of the sanitation project the Trade Centre has a sufficient number of toilets. As the sanitation project is maintained by the Urban Council and the community the sanitation conditions have improved and the project is a success. Awareness on sanitation and water supply are important for a sanitation project to be successful. Maintenance of the given sanitation facilities is important. It must be ensured that toilets are regularly cleaned. It is important to allocate more funds for the maintenance of the sanitation project. For improved sanitation, I think that the community must use toilets properly. The relevant State agencies must provide sufficient funding and labour for the maintenance of toilets. It is the duty of the NGOs to educate people on sanitation and proper use of toilets. Enumerator’s Observations: The toilets are fairly clean. Toilets are cleaned regularly. Sanitary projects which can be classified as unsuccessful Case No 6 K Sujatha Pushpani I have studied up to GCE Ordinary Level. Dadella East, where I live, is a semi urban area in the district of Galle. There are about 300 houses in this area and the total population is about 2000. Fisheries and self employment are the main sources of income of the people of Dadella East. Living a healthy life without diseases and necessary facilities is what I mean by sanitation. Sanitation is important as it helps to reduce diseases, helps to lead a dignified life, increases the level of education and helps to reduce poverty. Creating awareness amongst the community on the importance of home and personal hygiene, food hygiene and safe water handling and washing of hands is a necessity. Although people have some knowledge on these issues most of them do not practice these good habits. Diarrhea and viral fever are the common diseases seen in our area. Solid waste is collected by the Urban Council for disposal. Some people dispose waste by burning. Women in the area use sanitary towels and cloth napkins during menstruation. Some women refrain from bathing during such times and it affects their personal hygiene. Lack of adequate water is also a reason for this habit. Recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly is important as water and sanitation are basic necessities of a person. I feel that each house needs to have a toilet for its householders and common toilets should be provided for shanties. We have a water sealed sewerage system in our area and there are no drains for drainage. Here, about 2% of the population defecates in open. The school in the area has toilets that are being used at

present. These toilets are unclean and there are no separate toilets for males and females. Sarvodaya, an NGO implemented a sanitation project in our area under which it distributed 2 bags of cement, bricks, sand and doors to each family to build toilets. The families had to spend for the rest of the toilet. As there were defects in the design of the toilets (eg: small pits, small toilets) the said project failed. Not providing toilet facilities to all the families in the area is also a problem. The overall condition of sanitation has gone down due to the lack of facilities and bad sanitation practices and low income levels of people. Public awareness programmes on sanitation were held but toilet facilities were not upgraded. I think that the relevant State agencies must provide sanitation facilities to the community. The NGOs must see that the toilets are maintained properly and the community must clean the toilets that they use. Enumerator’s Observations: The area is fairly clean. A small percentage of the community defecates in the beach and forest. Generally women use toilets. Rarely, they defecate in open. The area used for defecating is unclean as the animals dig these places where people have defecated. The toilet pits overflow as the pits are too small. People cannot afford to get the Urban Council to clean the toilets as the Council charges about Rs.3000/- for cleaning. Case No 7 Christy Sammuel Caritas is a village located in close proximity to the Galle town in the District of Galle. There are 17 families in the village and the total number of persons is about 200. According to Christy Sammuel, a villager, majority of the community members of Caritas Village are engaged in the fisheries industry. To Mr. Sammuel, who is educated up to GCE Ordinary Level, sanitation means having good health and an adequate supply of water. According to him all the houses in his village have water sealed toilets. In his village there is no defecating in open and the village is generally clean. Mr. Sammuel sees the lack of a proper drainage system as a problem. He stressed the importance of having sanitation facilities as he believes that sanitation is a requirement for good hygiene. Mr. Sammuel states that as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, water and sanitation is vital to ensure good quality of life. For it to become a reality every house must have at least a usable toilet. It is assumed that the answer given by Mr Sammuel to question13 which is meant to be answered by females who have reached puberty, reflects the situation with regard to his wife and his grown up daughters. It appears that women in the area use sanitary towels and cloth napkins during menstruation. Women tend to use sanitary napkins for long periods of time due to poverty. According to him this situation can lead to women getting various diseases.

In 2005, with the intervention of the Catholic Church a sanitation project was implemented. Water sealed toilets were built under this project. Mr Sammuel states that this project was not a 100% success as the foundations of the toilets were not laid at proper levels and the drains were not properly sloped. Lack of proper supervision by the project implementing organization during the construction period led to these structural defects. In order to solve this problem he feels that the toilets must be rebuilt on properly laid down foundations and the drains must be properly sloped. This situation has led to the flooding of the area. He feels that the government agencies must intervene in solving this problem by rebuilding the existing drainage system. He also feels that the State must create public awareness on sanitation and provide assistance for building of toilets. NGOs must also implement programmes to create public awareness on sanitation and assist in finding funds for sanitation projects. The community can assist keeping their home environment clean and by providing labour during the construction period. Enumerator’s Observations: Area is generally clean. No defecating in open. Case No 8 H. A Saranapala I represent Welimada, a semi urban area in the Badulla District. Daily, about 400 people use the public toilets in the market complex. Maintaining cleanliness is what I mean by sanitation. Sanitation is important as it helps to reduce diseases, helps to reduce poverty, helps to lead a dignified life and increases the level of education. Recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right is a timely measurer taken by the United Nations General Assembly. The public toilets are water sealed. Drainage is through open drains and pipes. The Urban Council collects waste for disposal. All schools in the area have toilets that are being used at present. There are separate toilets for males and females. The Urban Council built the toilets for our market complex. Locating it in an unsuitable place and defects in the design has made the toilets a failure and the toilets are in a dilapidated state at present. Disposal of market waste near the toilets has made the surrounding area unclean and people find it difficult to use the toilets. The Urban Council must find a solution to the waste disposal problem. It is important that the Urban Council takes steps to rebuild and maintain the toilets. To ensure better sanitation, I feel that it is the duty of the market vendors to dispose waste in a more methodical manner. The Urban Council must have a proper method to maintain the toilets and the NGOs must create public awareness on sanitation. Enumerator’s Observations: Common toilets are unclean. The surrounding area is littered and unclean Solid waste disposed by the market adversely affects the use of toilets.

Successful projects with negative features Case No 9 Dayasiri de Silva I represent Dadella South, a semi-urban area in the District of Galle. There are about 76 houses in our area and the total number of persons is about 560. Fisheries, agriculture and trade are the main livelihoods of the community living in the area. What is meant by sanitation to me is to live without any diseases. Since it is important to live a healthy life free of diseases, I think it is important to have sanitation facilities. Having good sanitation conditions is important in many ways as it will reduce diseases ensuring better health, helps to lead a dignified life, increases the level of education and helps to reduce poverty. Those who do not have toilet facilities will be cornered by the rest of the society. Further, the disabled persons will face difficulties if toilet facilities are not available. People in our area are aware of the importance of home and personal hygiene. Most of the people wash hands using soap. Viral fever and diarrhea are the common diseases that are there in the area. Adoption of a resolution recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly is an indication that water and sanitation are basic rights of a person. We have a water sealed sewerage system in our area and drainage is through open drains. Here, people do not have the habit of defecating in the open. All schools in the area have toilets and these toilets are being used. There are separate toilets for males and females. Women in the area use both sanitary towels and cloth napkins during menstruation. Those who are poor cannot afford to use sanitary towels. In 2005, a sanitation project was implemented by the government in our area. In 2009 about 30 houses received sanitation facilities under this project. As a result of this project the overall sanitation conditions in the area have improved and people have a better supply of water. However, toilets built under the project tend to overflow during rainy seasons as the toilet pits are too small. Although it was decided to empty the pits using gully- bowsers, it was not implemented due to the lack of funds. This situation has to be rectified urgently. In order to improve sanitation projects, the community can contribute by way of labour during the construction period and I think the NGOs must assist the community to find funds to improve and maintain projects of this nature. Enumerator’s Observations: The area is clean. People do not defecate in open.

Case No 10 Ariyawathie Wijesinghe I represent a national school in Ambalantota, an urban area located in the district of Hambantota. There are about 2500 students studying in our school. What is meant by sanitation to me is to live a healthy life. Sanitation is important in many ways as it will reduce diseases ensuring better health, helps to reduce poverty, helps to lead a dignified life and increases the level of education. We have the habit of washing hands. If the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right, then it should be ensured that every person is entitled to toilet facilities. We have a water sealed sewerage system in our school and drainage is through open drains. All schools in the area have toilets that are being used at present. There are separate toilets for males and females. During menstruation, generally, females in the school use sanitary towels - disposal of which has become a problem. Used towels are disposed of through toilets and this leads to blocking of the system. In 2008, a sanitation project was implemented in our school through the UNICEF. Unlike before spreading of diseases is less now because of the sanitation project. I feel that awareness on sanitation and water supply are important for a sanitation project to be successful. Maintenance of the given sanitation facilities is important. It must be ensured that toilets are regularly cleaned. Although there is a sanitation project in place, children are reluctant to use the toilets as these are unclean. The surrounding area of our school is unclean. A bad odor emanates from the nearby drain. Mosquitoes and flies are a health threat. Filaria is a common disease in our area. Disposal of solid waste is through separation and open burning. Waste is also dumped on the banks of river Walawe To ensure improved sanitation, I think that the community must work towards creating awareness amongst schoolchildren. The responsible state agencies must ensure that measurers are taken for regular cleaning of public toilets and proper disposal of solid waste. Enumerator’s Observations: The school premise is fairly clean. Water supply for school children is insufficient.

Case No11 T. B. Achala Tharangani I am from the village called Kurugama Wasama in Wellawaya in the Moneragala District. There are about 400 houses in our area and the total number of persons is about 2000. Agriculture is the main livelihood of the village community. I have studied up to GCE Ordinary Level. What is meant by sanitation to me is to do whatever necessary to maintain good health. Minimizing diseases and maintaining a pleasant environment is important. Therefore, sanitation facilities are an important requirement. Having good sanitation conditions is important in many ways as it will reduce diseases ensuring better health, increases the level of education, helps to reduce poverty and helps to lead a dignified life. Adoption of a resolution recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly is important and it is good that the government gives priority to sanitation. We have a water sealed sewerage system in our area and drainage is through open drains. Solid waste is disposed of through open burning and burying. All schools in the area have toilets and it is difficult to use these toilets due to the non availability of an adequate supply of water. There are separate toilets for males and females. In 2010, a sanitation project was implemented by an organization called Plan. Under this project, ten houses were provided with part of the material required to build a toilet. Availability of funds and community involvement in implementing the project made the project a success. It is important to provide a good water supply system for the better use of toilets. I think it is important for the community to keep their environments clean and assist the government and NGOs in sanitation projects implemented by them. The government must ensure a better supply of water to the village and NGOs must assist in having awareness programmes on sanitation for the community. Enumerator’s Observations: The area is clean. People do not defecate in open. Case No 12. Ananda Kumara

Ananda Kumara, an estate labourer, is a resident of the village called Ailawatte in Yatiyantota in the district of Kegalle. He is educated up to GCE advanced level. According to him sanitation means to maintain cleanliness. He further states that sanitation is important for good health and to prevent the spreading of diseases. In his village there are 49 houses and the total number of persons is about 465. Viral fever is a common disease seen in his village. The village community currently uses pit toilets built by the estate authorities. Drainage in the area is through open drains. He says that solid waste is disposed into the canal. 90% of the community uses toilets and during the construction of toilets they assisted by digging the toilet pits. They are entitled to use these toilets free of charge and they participate in maintenance activities. People are aware of the importance of food hygiene and they have good habits that are required for good home and personal hygiene. Some use soap when washing hands. The Tamil school in his area has toilets for its students and they use it at present. While appreciating the recognition of access to clean water and sanitation as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly, he believes that access to water and sanitation is a basic right of every person. He says that lack of sanitation facilities will put people into a very difficult situation. Defecating in open is an unpleasant thing and it helps to spread diseases. Women and disabled persons will also face difficulties due to the non availability of toilet facilities. According to Ananda, women in the area use sanitary towels and cloth napkins during menstruation and their day to day activities are affected to some extent during such times. Under the sanitation project implemented in 2010 the estate authorities provided necessary material for the construction of 5 toilets. Ananda says that that the sanitation project became a success because there were adequate funds for the same and community participated when the project was implemented. Awareness on sanitation and change of attitudes of communities on sanitation also helped to make the project a success. Since sanitation facilities have increased Ananda feels that the area’s sanitation and overall hygiene has improved. The leadership role played by women has contributed towards improved sanitation conditions. For improved sanitation Ananda feels that toilets should be provided for 10 families that do not have such facilities. Further, he stressed the importance of maintaining the existing pipeline through which drinking water is distributed. Community participation in implementing sanitation projects should continue and the State must create public awareness on sanitation. He says that NGOs must play an important role in finding funds for sanitation projects implemented for the benefit of poor communities. Enumerator Observations: The area concerned is fairly clean. He has not observed people defecating in open. Case No 13

K G Premawathi I have studied up to GC E Ordinary Level. Sedgalle Town in Dadella East, where I live, is a semi urban area in the district of Galle. It is a Tsunami village with about 77 houses and the total number of persons is about 350. Fisheries and trade are the main sources of income of the people in our area. Improving one’s health condition is what I mean by sanitation. Sanitation is important to live a healthy life. It helps to reduce diseases, helps to reduce poverty, increases the level of education and helps to lead a dignified life. I think it is important to maintain home, personal and food hygiene. Safe water handling and washing of hands are also necessary. In our area children fall ill as there are mosquitoes and flies. Food must be covered as soon as it is cooked due to flies. This situation affects the education of children. Although the United Nations General Assembly has recognized access to clean water and sanitation as a human right some of the people in our area do not have these facilities. We have cylinder type toilets in our houses. Some toilets are already damaged. Toilets and drains overflow during rainy seasons. The two schools in the area have toilets. These toilets cannot be used as these over flow during rainy seasons and are unclean. There are separate toilets for males and females. School girls do not like to use the toilets during menstruation as the toilets are unclean. The school toilets do not have adequate facilities including water for the girls to use the same during menstruation. Improper disposal of Sanitary towels is also a problem. It is important to educate the children on sanitation as they do not have adequate knowledge on the same. Reverend Demian Harsha Kularatne was instrumental in implementing a sanitation project in 2005 through Caritas Sedgalle, an NGO. This NGO provided many facilities like common areas and drinking water. The overall condition of sanitation has gone down due to the lack of facilities and bad sanitation practices and low income levels of people. Public awareness programmes on sanitation were held but toilet facilities were not upgraded. I think that the relevant State agencies must provide drinking water facilities and maintain the toilets and drains. The community must clean the toilets that they use. Enumerator’s Observations: No defecating in open. The sanitation facilities are inadequate. Although there are toilets in the houses it cannot be used during rainy seasons due to over flowing. Status of ‘no project’ areas Case No 14 Vartharaja

I live in a “line room”21 in Finlay Estate in Uduwarapahala, a village in the Badulla district. There total number of persons is about 120 in the 16 units of line rooms and the occupants are tea estate labourers. Maintaining cleanliness is what I mean by sanitation. Sanitation is important as it helps to reduce diseases, helps to reduce poverty, helps to lead a dignified life and increases the level of education. To some extent we are aware of the importance of home, personal and food hygiene and safe water handling and washing of hands. Some women in the area use sanitary towels during menstruation. Those who are poor use cloth napkins as they cannot afford to use sanitary towels. Recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly is important as one cannot live without water or sanitation facilities. We have a water sealed sewerage system in our area and drainage is through open drains. Here, most of the people have the habit defecating in open. Only a few use toilets. All schools in the area have toilets that are being used at present. There are separate toilets for males and females. There are no proper sanitation facilities. As people defecate in open the surrounding area is unclean. Unclean surroundings, spreading of diseases and inability to live a dignified life are problems that we face as a result of the lack of proper sanitation facilities. Women face a lot of difficulties without toilet facilities. Low educational levels of the community, lack of a well organized community, lack of initiation by State or non State sector can be given as reasons for the lack of proper sanitation. We have requested the relevant estate sector authorities to provide us with toilet facilities but there has been no response. I think that state agencies must give priority to providing toilet facilities for all or at least some of the line rooms. As the community, we can help in improving sanitation facilities by providing labour. I think that the relevant State agencies must provide toilets and clean water to those communities who do not have these facilities. The NGOs must create public awareness on sanitation and assist in finding funds to provide these facilities for the poor communities. Enumerator’s Observations: The line rooms and its surroundings are unclean. People defecate in open. Case No. 15 Munidasa Dadellage I am a member of the local authority and represent Ambalantota- North, a village in the District of Hambantota. There are about 1400 houses and the total number of persons is about 6000. Trade, agriculture and fisheries are the main livelihoods of the community in my village.

21 A row of single roomed units in tea estates built for the purpose of housing

According to Mr. Dadellage who has studied up to GCE Ordinary Level, sanitation means availability of toilet facilities and to improve the quality of life through good habits. Sanitation is important as it helps to reduce diseases, increases the level of education, helps to lead a dignified life and helps to reduce poverty. Although we are aware of the importance of food hygiene it is not put into practice. People are well aware of home and personal hygiene and washing of hands. Viral fever is a common disease that we see here. Women in the area use sanitary towels and cloth napkins during menstruation. Generally women refrain from bathing during this period which habit affects their personal hygiene. There are two schools in my village and both these schools have toilets that are being used at present. There are separate toilets for males and females. We have a water sealed sewerage system in our village and drainage is through open drains. Solid waste disposal in the area is by open burning and collection by the Urban Council. I think that recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly is an important step taken and every person must have access to water and sanitation. The existing common toilets are unclean and the village is also unclean. Lack of proper sanitation facilities helps to spread diseases and make the surrounding environment unclean. I think that not having toilet facilities will cause much difficulties and embarrassment to a person. It is disappointing that much attention on sanitation has not been given to our village when compare with other areas. A proper drainage system for the proper flow of water is an important requirement for the village. I feel that there have been no sanitation initiatives in the village because the State agencies and NGOs have not taken any initiative to implement sanitation projects. The lack of funding is also a problem. Although we have attempted to get a sanitation project implemented in our village it never materialized. The villagers are unhappy as they were not able to get any sanitation project implemented. I think it is important to repair the existing drains and to construct drains on either side of the roads. Community can assist the implementation of a sanitation project by providing labour and the State agencies must plan and implement such projects. I feel that NGOs can play a major role in finding funds for sanitation projects and by creating public awareness on sanitation. Enumerator’s Observations: The village is fairly clean. Case No. 16 W A Priyantha Weerasinghe I represent Polpithigama a semi-urban area in the district of Kurunegala. Agriculture is the main livelihood of the community in my area. According to Mr. Weerasinghe who has studied up to GCE Advanced Level, sanitation means to maintain good health of the community. It also helps to make the environment better. Sanitation is important as it helps to reduce diseases, increases the

level of education, helps to lead a dignified life and helps to reduce poverty. Although we are aware of the importance of food hygiene it is not put into practice. Typhoid is a common disease that we see in our area. Women in the area use sanitary towels and cloth napkins during menstruation. Generally women refrain from bathing during this period which practice affects their personal hygiene. The school in my area has toilets that are being used at present. There are separate toilets for males and females. We have a water sealed sewerage system in our village and drainage is through open drains. A small percentage of the community defecate in the open .Solid waste disposal in the area is by open burning and collection by the Pradeshiya Sabha. I think that recognizing access to clean water and sanitation as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly is an important measurer taken as water and sanitation are basic needs of every person to lead a good life. I feel that there have been no sanitation initiatives in the village because the State agencies and NGOs have not taken any initiative to implement sanitation projects and the community is not organized to request for such facilities. Further, the lack of funding can also be shown as a reason. I feel that the community must be provided with clean drinking water. Giving sanitation facilities to the poor is also a requirement. Although we have attempted to get a sanitation project implemented in our area it never materialized. We have brought this matter to the attention of state agencies, Pradeshiya Sabha and NGOs. Community can assist the implementation of a sanitation project and the State agencies must plan and implement such projects. I feel that NGOs can play a major role in finding funds for sanitation projects and by creating public awareness on sanitation. Enumerator’s Observations: The village is fairly clean. A small percentage of the community defecates in open. 6. Concluding comments to be written 7. Recommendation (incomplete draft only) Awareness and education programmes on sanitation to be carried out along with the implementation of sanitation projects for (i) schools, (ii) estate communities, (iii) household affected by Tsunami and (iv) those who are beneficiaries of such projects. These programmes should cover aspects such as how to use toilets, how to dispose sanitary towels, good toilet habits, health infections related to the use of unclean toilets, health problems arising from non-urination and/or defecation for long periods and maintenance of toilets. Creating awareness for the general public on the responsibility to use public toilets in an appropriate manner and health problems as mentioned above. To achieve greater success sanitation projects must be well planned and designed taking a number of aspects into account - such as soil and environmental conditions, availability of water and appropriate technology - prior to implementation. Supervision and monitoring throughout the project cycle is an absolute requirement.

Post project support and maintenance in terms of services, advise and funds particularly for the poor is also desirable. Ensuring community participation from beginning to end of a project is an absolute necessity. Further, involving the community in construction and maintenance of sanitation projects is important. Special attention to be given to the Estate sector on their sanitation and water needs. Directing both government and other funding to the Estate sector for sanitation projects is urgently required. With regard to the Tsunami resettlements re-visiting and reappraisal of the sanitation projects implemented in the past together with an assessment of their present needs is essential. This is particularly so as sanitation projects have been carried out in haste in the short term soon after the Tsunami and is not suitable for long term use. Creating mechanisms for accountability and channeling funds for sanitation projects to the beneficiaries is a pre-requisite for achieving good sanitation in the country. This will include minimizing political interference in a wrongful way. Sanitation projects must be built together with water supply projects for it to be successful. Experiences show that implementation of sanitation projects without water set in the stage for failure.