A Sridevasena, IAS: How she turned a high-risk dengue area into India’s cleanest district.

When A. Sridevasena became the district collector of Peddapalli, she faced big problems with sanitation. The district was almost ready to be called Open Defecation Free (ODF), but when Sridevasena visited local villages, she saw that wasn't true. Open defecation was still common, there was a strong smell of waste, and open drains ran in front of many homes. Sridevasena knew that to truly achieve ODF status, she needed to make major changes, and she was determined to make it happen. 

Over a year, Sridevasena led efforts that not only made Peddapalli an ODF+ district but also the cleanest in India.

• Her main focus was the Swachh Shukravaram initiative, which aimed to end open defecation by ensuring every household had a toilet. When some people complained about being far from home toilets, the collector ordered one community toilet for each of the 263 villages. Sarpanches were tasked with funding and maintaining these toilets, which help both farmers and students.
• Devasena also launched the ‘Swachhagrahi’ program, appointing over 1,000 women from self-help groups to monitor cleanliness. Each Swachhagrahi oversees 50-100 families, educating them about the risks of open defecation. Village leaders, or sarpanches, were responsible for constructing and maintaining these facilities to keep them clean and usable.
• Sridevasena also tackled the problem of open drains by overseeing the construction of more than 100,000 soak pits, which helped manage greywater and eliminate open drains. The project was partially funded for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, while Above Poverty Line (APL) families were encouraged to build their own soak pits.

This not only improved water management but also created a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone. As a result, Peddapalli saw a 65% drop in dengue cases in 2019 compared to the previous year, proving these measures were effective in improving public health.

Devasena outlines five key factors for Peddappalli’s development: Political will, Participation, Public finance, Partnerships, and the leadership of Parameswaran Iyer from Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

To involve local politicians, Devasena set up a competition where Panchayats and tehsils earned praise for achieving ODF status, prompting leaders to use their own funds for clean-up efforts. Building on this success, Sri Devasena launched the Pancha Sutralu project, which aimed to turn villages into zero-waste zones. This initiative promoted waste segregation,

composting, and creating kitchen gardens.

By encouraging sustainable practices, Sridevasena wanted to foster a sense of environmental responsibility in the community and improve the quality of life in Peddapalli.

These efforts earned Peddapalli multiple national awards, including being the only district in India to receive the Swachh Bharat awards three years in a row and winning three national awards for the best Panchayats and Mandal in the sanitation sector in a single year.

Sridevasena’s approach emphasized community involvement and empowerment. She fostered a new generation of village leaders who prioritized sanitation, showing that significant change is possible with collective effort.

• Peddapalli achieved several notable distinctions. It is the only district declared open drain-free and has developed its own brand of affordable sanitary napkins, SABALA, which are delivered to village households.
• This initiative led to a significant reduction in urinary tract infections reported in government hospitals.
• Furthermore, Peddapalli is the only district to have built new community toilet blocks for every village, maintained through active community participation.
• Her success in Peddapalli serves as a model for others, demonstrating that with the right approach, even the most challenging problems can be solved.

LEARNING FROM THE PEDDAPALLI MODEL

Key learnings from Sridevasena’s efforts in Peddapalli include the importance of comprehensive sanitation reforms, including building and maintaining community toilets and managing waste. Her initiatives like the 'Swachh Shukravaram' and ‘Swachhagrahi’ programs, along with local leader involvement, significantly improved public health and cleanliness. Emphasizing community engagement and sustainable practices, Sridevasena's model demonstrates that targeted actions and local participation can overcome even severe sanitation challenges.