{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-post-query-tsx","path":"/blog-post/ministry-of-drinking-water-and-sanitation-secretary-empties-a-latrine-pit/","result":{"pageContext":{"post":{"slug":"/blog-post/ministry-of-drinking-water-and-sanitation-secretary-empties-a-latrine-pit/","title":"Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary empties a latrine pit!","date":"Feb 19, 2017","timeToRead":1,"description":"The Times of India reported yesterday that the Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Param Iyer, emptied a latrine pit in Warangal district yesterday. Read why r.i.c.e. believes this is an important step forward in our op-ed in The Hindu.","body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsxRuntime classic */\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary empties a latrine pit!\",\n  \"date\": \"2017-02-19\",\n  \"template\": \"post\",\n  \"slug\": \"ministry-of-drinking-water-and-sanitation-secretary-empties-a-latrine-pit\",\n  \"postedLink\": \"https://riceinstitute.org/blog/ministry-of-drinking-water-and-sanitation-secretary-empties-a-latrine-pit/\",\n  \"description\": \"The Times of India reported yesterday that the Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Param Iyer, emptied a latrine pit in Warangal district yesterday. Read why r.i.c.e. believes this is an important step forward in our op-ed in The Hindu.\",\n  \"tags\": \"Blog Post\",\n  \"banner\": \"param-iyer.jpg\"\n};\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The Times of India \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/secretary-empties-twin-pit-toilet-to-end-stigma/articleshow/57220340.cms?from=mdr\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"reported\"), \" yesterday that the Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Param Iyer, emptied a latrine pit in Warangal district\\xA0yesterday. Read why r.i.c.e. believes this\\xA0is an important step forward in our \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-pit-stop-to-change-attitudes/article17348600.ece\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"op-ed\"), \" in The Hindu.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"It's now well known that the history and continuing practice of untouchability play an important role in explaining open defecation in India. Several studies have found that many rural Indians associate emptying a latrine pit by hand with manual scavenging, work that Dalits have traditionally been compelled to do. Thankfully, the exploitation and exclusion of Dalits is being challenged in India, and many have abandoned the degrading work associated with their oppression. In light of this situation, though, rural Indians do not want to use the kinds of latrines that require periodic manual pit emptying, like those promoted by the Indian government.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"It is therefore laudable that Secretary Iyer, the highest-ranking bureaucrat\\xA0working on sanitation, set an example for representatives of each state by\\xA0emptying a latrine pit himself.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"But many rural Indians\\xA0probably do not know who Secretary Iyer is and may not come across\\xA0the articles\\xA0covering this event, so it will be essential for others to pass on the message.\\xA0I only hope that this is the beginning of\\xA0many\\xA0such demonstrations across the country. If\\xA0the image of high-ranking people emptying pits becomes as ubiquitous as the images of high-ranking officials\\xA0wielding brooms, this will be a new era in sanitation policy indeed.\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","tags":[{"name":"Blog Post","slug":"blog-post"}],"banner":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"src":"/static/8babe638ab9887528128805ba895421a/29765/param-iyer.jpg","srcSet":"/static/8babe638ab9887528128805ba895421a/55357/param-iyer.jpg 200w,\n/static/8babe638ab9887528128805ba895421a/29765/param-iyer.jpg 500w,\n/static/8babe638ab9887528128805ba895421a/1f218/param-iyer.jpg 1000w","aspectRatio":2.5,"sizes":"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px","base64":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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"}}}}}},"staticQueryHashes":["318001574","3787687951","3787687951"]}