Trash, trash, everywhere!

One of the biggest problems that India currently faces is issues regarding sanitation.  As was visible on the trip, one of the leading contributors is the lack of infrastructure when it comes to waste management systems.  With people defecating on the street and trash scattered everywhere, it is certainly difficult to maintain visual and practical cleanliness, but even more difficult to keep things like water sources clean.  However, the issues seem to go much deeper than just installing more toilets or allowing for more accessible waste management.  It was clear to see through many of the lectures in India and first-hand experience that many of the issues regarding sanitation in the country are rooted in a complex web of cultural habits and lack of enforcement.  Without change in both, changes are seemingly impossible. 

A common problem throughout many of the NGOs working in India is the struggle to find a way to get villages and individuals to actually use sanitation facilities once they are brought about.  Many of these organizations expressed concerns that even if they have the money and resources to build toilets in villages, most are never put to use because the villagers don’t have any incentive to utilize them.  This is due to many reasons; often, the villagers believe it to be “dirty” to use the bathroom in the house, the same place where they cook, but many times it is simply because it is easier for them to go outside and not have to worry about emptying any bins or toilets.  The disconnect that appears in many of these cases results because “western” practices are being brought into villages where cultural habits and practicality outweigh almost anything else. 

On the other hand, it was clear to see that the infrastructure was also lacking, especially in terms of waste management.  Even if people desired to throw their trash away properly, the availability of proper receptacles is so low, that it is a difficult thing to do.  I am adamant about not littering and I don’t know if it’s something that I have ever done in the U.S. However, when looking for a trashcan in India, there were many times where none was available and I had the urge to just throw my trash down with the rest of it, thinking that it wouldn’t make a difference.  This just reinforces the idea that environment also reinforces cultural practices.  In essence, India cannot make changes without the two ideas working hand in hand; culture and infrastructure.  There needs to be participation from the people, on a level where they actually feel moved to make changes, but there also needs to be incentive to actually take those actions and reasonable resources to such.   

India has seen such rapid growth and urbanization in the past few decades and it is clear to see that the environment has suffered in many ways.  The country is moving more and more quickly towards the “western world.” However, India also has thousands of years of history and culture behind it, which cannot simply be forgotten in the name of globalization.  This causes tension because there is a constant struggle between the way things have been done for centuries, and the direction that the country is now going.  In order for India to be successful in the future, both within its own economy and in regards to the larger picture (such as the environment) there needs to be a compromise  A transition needs to be made somewhere along the way that focuses on finding a balance between the two competing cultures; traditional India and modern India.  If approaches can be made which simultaneously address policy/infrastructure and cultural habits, India has much hope in the future.