In a move to create awareness among the rural population about the benefits of using toilets, the rural development ministry has asked the states to appoint sanitation messengers in each gram panchayat.

The messengers, who will be called 'Swachchata Doots', will be not only be responsible for creating awareness in community towards safe sanitation practices, they will also indulge in shaming those practicing open defecation by taking up walks in open defecation areas.

The shift to create awareness follows a realisation by the government that the cash incentives to build toilets, without an emphasis behavioural change, does not work.

According to the guidelines issued by the RD ministry, gram panchayats with a population of less than 2,000 will have at least one swachchhata doot and GPs with more than 2000 people will have minimum two swachchhata doots.

The objective according to rural development ministry officials is to provide a local person as consultant in the gram panchayats for sustainable total sanitation campaign and to catalyse behavioural changes in individuals in respect to open defecation, hygiene, water safety, safe disposal of solid and liquid waste

A swachchhta doot will also be responsible for spotting and reporting on changes and trend of village water sanitation situation, possession of toilets by different groups, excreta calculation, contamination mapping, etc.

He/ she will also be expected to visit school and anganwadi at regular intervals for discussion on cleanliness, maintenance and use of toilets, pursue introduction of discussion after prayer meetings about the need for installation of toilets.

Total sanitation campaign was launched in 1999 with the stated objective of making the country open defecation free by 2015.