The Sundarbans, the place land and sea intertwine in a wide ranging dance, is a testomony to nature’s uncooked energy and delicate magnificence. This distinctive ecosystem, respiration with the rhythm of saltwater tides, is a fragile stability that sustains life.
Nevertheless, this delicate stability is disrupted by pure calamities that continuously plague the area. One of the devastating penalties of those occasions is saltwater intrusion, which contaminates freshwater sources, leaving communities with out entry to clear consuming water. Compelled to resort to unhygienic practices, these communities face critical well being dangers.
“Entry to recent water has all the time been a urgent drawback right here. As soon as upon a time, native residents would use pond water and typically from the river, relying on their want,” says Soma Bera, a resident of Sagar Island within the Sundarbans.
“A variety of ladies would endure from vaginal infections. This was extraordinarily frequent amongst villagers. Even pores and skin illnesses have been frequent. We realised that this was brought about majorly by way of poisonous water from the ponds or the saline water that’s principally obtainable,” Soma provides.
Throughout pure calamities like cyclones, saltwater intrusion contaminates the village ponds. This, together with falling bushes and dying organisms, creates a severely unhealthy setting. “And in just a few days these villagers are compelled to make use of the identical water and from it comes illnesses,” shares Mrinal Bhattacharya, the co-founder of the non-profit organisation ‘Society for Socio-Financial and Ecological Improvement’ (SEED).
Mrinal has been working within the Sundarbans for nearly twenty years, addressing the priority of saltwater intrusion and hygiene, notably menstrual hygiene, within the area. Nevertheless, discovering measures to fight the problem shouldn’t be as simple as one may assume, particularly for folks within the Sundarbans the place each earned penny is important for his or her livelihood.
“Groundwater is extremely scarce right here. Even tubewells meant for consuming water are out of attain for most individuals — solely rich households can afford them. Drilling a nicely prices anyplace between Rs 2 to three lakh, making it unaffordable for the poorer communities,” explains Mrinal.
Accessibility to freshwater
To handle well being and sanitation points, together with menstrual hygiene, SEED focuses on rising freshwater entry as a strategic strategy to handle the advanced points affecting the mangrove forest.
The Built-in Coastal Zone Administration Programme was executed in Sagar Island, the place Soma lives. “For the programme, with the assist of the World Financial institution, we began pond excavation. After the excavation, the embankments of the ponds have been made slightly greater in order that saltwater intrusion doesn’t occur,” explains Mrinal.
The mannequin labored in favour of the folks, turning out to be successful. “Throughout the cyclones, the place saltwater intrusion was frequent, these ponds with greater embankments have been left untouched. In Ghoramara, we’ve dug comparable ponds as nicely,” shares Mrinal.
Nevertheless, entry to on a regular basis use of water continued to be a problem. Mrinal explains that he spoke to the departments involved and tried to determine just a few rainwater services. “We constructed small wells of concrete to gather the place rainwater might be collected, and glued faucet connections to it.”
With the assistance of Bharat Petroleum, below the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, SEED undertook a number of duties corresponding to de-weeding the ponds and utilizing bleaching energy to filter any infections, which was applied regularly.
Authorities companies corresponding to PHEs and their assist have allowed them to efficiently carry consuming water to each family. Moreover, SEED additionally helped dig tubewells to extend entry to freshwater.
“SEED’s intervention began with the institution of such tubewells, and other people are actually utilizing the groundwater. This has been immensely helpful for us, and we’ve water traces connecting to faucets,” shares Soma.
Menstrual well being administration
Whereas efforts to fight freshwater shortage have offered some aid, the silent wrestle of ladies within the Sundarbans continues. Sure by cultural taboos surrounding menstruation, ladies face vital challenges throughout their menstrual cycles. These taboos typically go away them remoted and weak, complicating their plight.
Saleya Bibi, a resident of Jharkhali Island, shares, “I used to tear sarees into strips and use them throughout my intervals as a result of pads have been both too costly or unavailable.”
Her story shouldn’t be distinctive — hundreds of thousands of ladies throughout India face comparable struggles. In line with the Nationwide Household Well being Survey (2015-16), solely 36% of India’s 336 million menstruating women and girls had entry to sanitary napkins and practised correct hygiene.
Monetary constraints power ladies to depend on fabric as a substitute of sanitary pads, however this follow comes with its personal risks. Cloths, which want daylight to dry correctly and remove germs, are sometimes dried indoors in darkish, humid areas on account of cultural taboos round menstruation. This results in extreme infections, adversely affecting their reproductive well being.
“Whereas addressing ladies’s well being, the physician’s crew had recognized that numerous issues stemmed from vaginal infections and the foundation reason behind this was unhygienic menstrual practices,” shares Mrinal.
“Cleansing themselves with extremely saline water throughout their intervals results in Urinary Tract Infections (UTI), Pelvic Inflammatory Ailments (PID), and vaginal infections,” shares Alima Ahmad, the grant author at SEED.
Mrinal highlights the unhappy actuality confronted as a result of lack of knowledge among the many lots. “They ignore the illness and proceed with their on a regular basis lives. For some it turns into critical, for others, they get cured.”
The disposal of used cloths was one other vital problem. Many ladies discard the cloths in rivers or different open water our bodies, which not solely pollutes the setting but additionally exposes them to further well being dangers.
“Most girls would cover their menstruation. They might not wish to discuss it; in truth, they’d not even let their husbands know that they have been menstruating,” shares Soma.
“I couldn’t ask my husband to purchase pads, nor can I’m going myself. I used to be apprehensive about what others may assume,” says Saleya, echoing the mindset of many ladies in her neighborhood.
Breaking the taboo: ‘In the present day, virtually each girl makes use of sanitary napkins often’
Making a secure house for ladies to brazenly talk about menstruation was a vital first step. As Alima shares, “Breaking the taboo was a major problem, requiring appreciable effort than anticipated.”
In affiliation with the Panchayats, Self Assist Teams (SHGs) and Group-Primarily based Organisations (CBO), SEED targeted on conducting workshops and consciousness programmes on a fortnightly foundation round menstrual well being administration, which was an eye-opener for rural ladies.
Rituporna Nath, the communications supervisor at SEED, shares, “Initially, folks have been reluctant to attend these workshops. However as days handed, they have been impressed by different ladies who benefited.”
“As a lady from a rural background, I understood the cultural constraints concerned in menstrual practices. I actually used cloths throughout my adolescence. However that doesn’t imply we must always settle for this case. We should increase consciousness.” shares Rituporna.
Alima shares an incident when a male gynaecologist got here to take the session. “Ladies have been open to discussing their points and actively participated within the studying course of. In a situation the place ladies have been reluctant to talk about intervals to their male relations, that is an achievement,” Alima smiles.
“They (SEED) have been those who first taught us what sanitary napkins are, why they’re used, and what are the advantages of utilizing them,” displays Soma.
Every session ends with distributing two sanitary pad packets, sufficient to cowl a lady’s wants for a whole menstrual cycle. The gesture is not only sensible however symbolic, representing a shift in how ladies understand their very own wants. “In the present day, virtually each girl makes use of sanitary napkins often,” Soma says.
“When Amphan and Aila [cyclones] occurred, we have been in numerous bother. These have been horrible instances. Individuals in Sagar Island endure from poverty and would not have the power to purchase sanitary napkins. Throughout the cyclone, our situation worsened. At the moment SEED offered us with numerous sanitary pads. Not solely did utilizing these assist us preserve our bodily well being, nevertheless it additionally helped us mentally,” she provides.
The elevated use of sanitary pads has fostered a extra open dialogue about menstruation, even amongst males. This has led to a higher understanding of the challenges ladies face, making a extra supportive setting inside households. As Soma joyfully shares, “We are able to now inform the boys of our home that we have to purchase sanitary napkins, and so they go, purchase napkins and provides them to us.”
Nevertheless, regardless of this progress, ladies nonetheless reside below the patriarchal shadow. “Saleya is certainly one of our success tales. She shouldn’t be solely practising the utilization of sanitary pads often but additionally inspiring over 100 ladies,” says Mrinal.
Soma personally desires each girl and woman to make use of sanitary napkins. “We do purchase sanitary napkins on our personal, but when SEED can proceed to offer us with extra, it might make numerous distinction,” she asserts.
Mrinal informs that at present, Saleya and a number of other different ladies in her locality have additionally taken to wall graffiti to unfold consciousness about menstruation and menstrual hygiene.
“I can’t say that we’ve achieved 100% success in all areas we’ve intervened, however sure, over 70% of households have stopped the practices that might result in well being points. Some taboos nonetheless exist and we’ve to proceed working in direction of that,” states Mrinal.
Overcoming challenges, emphasising training
Mrinal acknowledges that the present measures are non permanent options and require sustained funding and revolutionary approaches. He highlights the continued problem of inexpensive sanitary pads. To handle this, they’re implementing a programme that empowers rural ladies to produce sanitary pads. “This has a twin profit — producing revenue and offering ladies with entry to important merchandise,” he explains.
Regardless of SEED’s notable progress, a disparity persists, with some neighborhood members but to expertise the complete extent of the constructive impression. To vary this, the organisation plans to leverage digital media, corresponding to brief animation movies, to coach communities.
“The irony is that even in a rural space like Ghoramara, folks have web and cellphones however wrestle to entry clear water or sanitary pads,” says Rituporna, shedding mild on the hole between consciousness of desires and wishes.
SEED emphasises the pivotal function of training within the improvement of the Sundarbans. “With out training, nothing can develop,” Mrinal asserts. To this finish, they function quite a few non-formal teaching centres.
“In Sagar Island, we’ve a college devoted solely to the Lodha tribe. They’re first-generation learners and haven’t any tutorial setting of their households. We concentrate on joyful studying, impart data via dance and music, and supply nutritious meals to ask them to attend faculties,” says Mrinal.
“For instance, 13 to 14-year-old ladies who attend faculty now use sanitary napkins, that are disposed of in designated bins or services,” Soma explains, highlighting the improved high quality of life within the Sundarbans.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee. All photos courtesy SEED
