Swachh Bharat on the ground - An insight to the programme
On a hot sunny day in June, Pankaj Jha comes to my shop. Riding on his Hero motorcycle dressed in simple shirt & trousers and carrying a basic cell phone, Mr. Jha starts enquiring about the prices of different building material goods. I operate a building material store in Raikot, a small town falling under Ludhiana district of Punjab. Jha’s requirements ranged from basic materials like cement & sand to sanitary pipes and seats. After detailed analysis of various quotations that Mr. Jha had from other shopkeepers, he decides to pick up the material from me. Mr. Jha works as a volunteer with Sulabh International, an organisation promoting sanitisation, waste management and human rights. Sulabh is the one of the largest NGOs in India. Jha along with 46 others have been appointed as supervisors by Sulabh International. But what is Sulabh doing in Punjab? Why is Jha stationed in Ludhiana by Sulabh International? The story started in August 2014 on the eve of Independe