MUMBAI: In a bid to support the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) make Mumbai open defecation-free, Viacom18 has flagged off the second phase of its Chakachak Mumbai campaign in Bandra. As a part of this initiative, aesthetically designed mobile community toilets are being used as canvases and installed across 13 locations in the city, in an innovative bid to synergize infrastructural enhancement with behavioral change.
The toilets were instated in the presence of Poonam Mahajan, Member of Parliament, Mumbai North Central; Ashish Shelar, Member of Legislative Assembly, Vandre West; Ajoy Mehta, Municipal Commissioner, MCGM; and Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO - Viacom18.
Speaking about the project, Poonam Mahajan, Member of Parliament, Mumbai North Central said: “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, India is gearing up towards becoming open defecation free. In such a scenario, it is highly encouraging to see corporates like Viacom18 take up the cause and use their capabilities as storytellers to not only artistically design toilets that induce hygienic behavior but also educate people through their behavioral change campaign. This is our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s dream, this is Viacom18’s dream and this is every Indian’s dream.”
Shelar said: “Keeping our communities clean is the basis of prosperity. We have taken initiatives to make Mumbai open defecation free and we hope that projects such as Viacom18’s Chakachak Mumbai will help us achieve this target. Viacom18 has innovatively used pre-fabricated mobile toilets that can help solve Mumbai’s open defecation problem as they are easier to build and faster to install.”
The first phase of Chakachak Mumbai focused on renovating and reconstructing over 200 toilets across 4 slums in Andheri East. Furthermore, underlining the importance of instigating a change in people’s mindset at the ground level, the network had roped in Ramon Magsaysay award winner Jockin Arputham and underprivileged women’s self-help collective Mahila Milan, to undertake an intensive behaviour change communication programme.
Vats said, “A very simple philosophy drives Chakachak Mumbai – that we as businesses have a responsibility to give back to the society that helps us grow. As the country’s fastest growing media and entertainment network and as the country’s foremost storytellers we have both the expertise and the reach to act as a catalyst of dialing up socially inclusive change messaging. In this second phase of Chakachak Mumbai, we are working with the MCGM to rapidly scale up the infrastructural community enhancements to help make Mumbai ODF. And while doing it, we incorporated the Viacom18 ethos of marrying art to drive behavior change by using the toilet walls into art work canvases. I’m thankful to the state government and the city administration for working with us to facilitate this story of a Swachh and Chakachak Mumbai.”
The mobile toilet blocks are state-of-the art and are reflective of Mumbai’s spirit. The toilets are designed on themes such as Mumbai’s lifeline local trains, Bollywood, Koli community, etc. that aim to invoke a sense of pride in the communities and encourage more people to use them.
“Being an urban area, we understand the impact that behaviour change communication can make in adoption of toilet usage. Simply constructing toilets is not enough, generating awareness and educating people as well as maintaining these toilets with electricity and water are essential. We are therefore, happy to partner with Viacom18 and their flagship Chakachak Mumbai program to help further the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan as they have successfully used positive reinforcement amongst the community to help make the city open defecation free,” said Mehta.
