In Rural Sanitation Push, Assam Government Gears Up To Bring Toilets To Assam Tea Plantation Workers

Tea planters in Assam are still struggling to have access to toilets in the tea estates. The matter came to light when District Collector of Dibrugarh, India’s largest tea-producing district, Laya Madduri invited tea estate managers to know the progress under Swachch Bharat Mission, The Hindu Business Line reported.

The findings stunned Madduri. According to the report, "roughly one-third of the 170-odd estates are yet to set up toilet facilities for workers, as is mandated under law." The report adds that under Plantation Labour Act tea estate managers are required to provide bathroom cum toilet to every labour quarter, but the facilities remain only on paper.

Business Line added that under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, the Assam government had "claimed to have ensured total sanitation to tea workers", but the toilets could not be used. “Those toilets were useless. They were destroyed in a year. We built them cheap to remain on the right side of law,” the report quoted a Dibrugarh-based planter.

The good news though is that the Assam government is now showing interest in bringing change. Under a new initiative, collection of data regarding functional toilets on garden-level has been ordered by the government. Business Line reported that the Assam government is now keen on adopting a lasting solution. Tea companies have requested Assam government to share the cost by taking stock of Swachch Bharat schemes.