Pakistan Among Best Performers in Sanitation: Indian Among Worst

[RiazHaq]

Improved Water and Sanitation: Among the most populated countries in the world, Pakistan, China, and Nigeria were top performers (ranked 5, 11, and 18 respectively). Conversely, Russia, the Philippines and India were bottom performers (ranked 72, 83, and 92 respectively).

• The WaSH Performance Index is the sum of country performance values in the following components: water access, water equity, sanitation access, and sanitation equity.
• Among most top performing countries, neither water nor sanitation dominated the overall Index value, suggesting improvements in water and sanitation do not necessarily come at the expense of the other.
• Among the most populated countries in the world, Pakistan, China, and Nigeria were top performers (ranked 5, 11, and 18 respectively). Conversely, Russia, the Philippines and India were bottom performers (ranked 72, 83, and 92 respectively).

The WaSH Performance Index is the sum of country performance values in the following components: water access, water equity, sanitation access, and sanitation equity. Each of the components ranges from -1 to 1 meaning the overall WaSH index value can range from -4 to 4.Figure 19 summarizes the values. The WaSH Performance Index was calculated for 117 countries (i.e. 117 countries had values for all four index components). Tables 6 and 7 list the countries with the top ten and bottom ten values. Values range from -1.34 to 2.6, which is much smaller than the range of possible values (-4 to 4).



Figure 19. WaSH Performance Index values by country

Top and bottom performing countries

The top ten and bottom ten countries are a surprising group. Low levels of coverage are often clustered in certain regions – for example, water access is low in sub-Saharan Africa while sanitation access is low in South and Southeast Asia. In contrast, performance values appear to be spread widely within regions. This suggests that country-specific factors, such as the enabling environment, may be driving performance and regions as a whole are not constrained to perform poorly.

Among countries with top ten values, two are low income, five are lower middle income and three are upper middle income. Among countries with bottom ten values, three are low income, five are lower middle income, and two are upper middle income. Top performing countries are located in all world regions with the most from South Asia (n = 4) and Sub-Saharan Africa (n = 2). Among bottom ten countries, three are from East Asia and the Pacific, and four are from Sub-Saharan Africa. A few countries are under-represented in the JMP data sets that we used, notably highly industrialized countries with very high coverage rates (as data may not be collected) and small island developing nations (as few have nationally representative household surveys).

Table 6. Top ten countries in the 2015 WaSH Performance Index


Table 7. Bottom ten countries in the 2015 WaSH Performance Index


Among the most populated countries in the world, Pakistan, China, and Nigeria were top performers (ranked 5, 11, and 18 respectively). Russia, the Philippines and India were bottom performers (ranked 72, 83, and 92 respectively).

Trends in performance

Tables 8 and 9 show the trend of components for the top ten and bottom ten countries. Six of the top ten have improving trends over time for all components. Conversely, seven of the bottom ten have an unchanged or deteriorating trend for all components. Tables 6 through 9 show that among most top performing countries, neither water nor sanitation components dominated the overall Index value, suggesting improvements in water and sanitation do not necessarily come at the expense of the other.

Table 8. Trend in performance among the top ten countries

Table 9. Trend in performance among the bottom ten countries


http://waterinstitute.unc.edu/wash-performance-index-report/

 

[RiazHaq]

India's rivers have been turned into open sewers by 638 million Indians without access to toilets, according to rural development minister Jairam Ramesh. He was reacting aUNICEF report that says Indians make up 58% of the world population which still practices open defection, and the sense of public hygiene in India is the worst in South Asia and the world.

http://www.riazhaq.com/2011/10/india-leads-world-in-open-defecation.html

 

[Riemn]

Mushraff 10 years ago have signed agreement of 9 world class universities in Pak , with Japan , France , USA , Germany , Korea but Sharif family and Zardari family has cancelled that agreement for new world class universities in PAk
Pak need to build good universities last 10 years , the corrupt Sharif and Zardari govt has wasted of Pakistan , If we want better Pak , we need good universities, We need to compete with indiai in Science not just in toilets , they are ugly and dirty whole world knows but what about Science and math??
30 tech skills that will get you $110,000-plus salary

Business Insider /May 02,2015
IT companies hiring more for every $1 billion revenue earned

Jochelle Mendonca & Neha Alawadhi,ET Bureau | May 1, 2015, 01.04 PM IST

India's rivers have been turned into open sewers by 638 million Indians without access to toilets, according to rural development minister Jairam Ramesh. He was reacting aUNICEF report that says Indians make up 58% of the world population which still practices open defection, and the sense of public hygiene in India is the worst in South Asia and the world.

http://www.riazhaq.com/2011/10/india-leads-world-in-open-defecation.html

Navin Kabra, Returned to India after 8 years in th... (more)962 upvotes by Sridhar Ramesh, Raghav Boinepalli, Marc Bodnick, (more)





(Quick background: I grew up in India, went to US at 21 to study. Spent 8 years there (including 3 years working). Moved back to Pune, Maharashtra, India, India in 2001, and have been here ever since.)

(Clarification: This post is intended to just be context- and expectation-setting for someone who is already planning on returning to India. If you're happy in the US, and are not interested in returning, I am happy for you - this post is not an attempt to change your mind (as some people seem to have misinterpreted))

A lot of how you feel depends upon the attitude. Some things are going to be as bad as you remember them, some things are going to be worse than you remember, and some things are going to be surprisingly better. The right attitude is to focus on what is good and try to ignore the bad. Some people fail miserably at this, and move back to the US after about an year. Others succeed in this, and love being here.

Here are the things you might notice, conveniently categorized:

General life:

• Yes, it is dirty, and dusty. People litter and spit and urinate in public. It was always like this, so you shouldn't let it bother you. If this is going to irritate you, don't come back.
• Yes, there is corruption. But if you're going to be doing a job (as opposed to doing your own business), you will not be exposed to much of it.
• Most vendors and service providers are unreliable. They won't come on time. They will not deliver on time. Quality will be lacking. Some will disappear without warning you. This continues to bother me, even after 10 years here.
• However, note that consumer oriented business works far more efficiently now than it used to 10-15 years ago. When I first landed up in Pune, Maharashtra, India in 2001, I had nothing other than a passport. No friends, no family, no address proof, no ration card. No place to stay, no vehicle. I managed to get a rental apartment, a ration card, a landline phone, a mobile phone, 2 "gas" cylinders, a computer, 2 internet connections, a car, all household appliances, and start a full-time home office in 2 weeks. I would not have thought that it was possible to get this done in India so fast. See footnote[1] for a illustrative anecdote.
• Getting domestic help is ridiculously cheap, so expect to have a person to do the dishes, someone else to do the cleaning and the laundry, and a cook, and a driver. In the last ten years, I've probably done dishes, or the laundry less than 5 times. My wife and I cook only when we're in the mood for cooking, otherwise we don't have to. I know that some people are thinking: "I like doing all the chores. There is a satisfaction in being self-sufficient." But the fact is that I have not seen anybody hold on to such a resolve in the face of easily available domestic help. (Note: Driving is an exception. People who like to drive often will make do without a driver. I like to drive, so did not use a driver for the longest time. But these days, if I need to go somewhere that's more than 20 minutes away, I take the driver along, so I can get some work done along the way.)

Cost and Standard of Living:

• In general, you will be comfortably well off in India. Your Indian salary will be much lower than your US salary in dollar terms, but will be pretty good in terms of purchasing power parity. Some things will seem very expensive relative to your salary, and other things ridiculously cheap
• Expect to be shocked by real estate prices. Houses/Flats (aka "condos") in the better localities (i.e. the kinds of places NRIs like to live in) can be more expensive than houses in the US (of course, if you're not from the Bay Area). A major chunk of your salary will go towards the EMI for your home loan.
• iPads, laptops, latest flat screen TVs will seem a little expensive to you. The prices in India are just a little higher than US prices, (and many people buy in the US), but your salary will be lower.
• Food, eating out, domestic help, and in general everything else will be much cheaper

Infrastructure:

• Roads/Traffic/Electricity/Water is an area that I view with a bit of a concern. Depending on where exactly you're living one or more of these might be an irritant already, and the problem is likely to get worse
• Power cuts are a problem in some cities (mostly during the daytime). This is not an issue for employees of large companies, because of generator backups, but it has begun hurting smaller companies. Sometimes, you end up losing a few hours of work on one day of the week because the load-shedding extended farther than your UPS and laptop batteries could last.
• While water is theoretically a problem, most of you are likely to live in apartment complexes which buy water by the tanker to make up for any shortages, so you're unlikely to notice this much.
• Traffic and commute times are becoming problems for some people in some cities - but then people who've lived in the US would not be strangers to long commutes and rush hour traffic jams.
• Phone coverage and internet bandwidth is not really a problem. While the average "home" broadband network might not be as fast as what you're used to in the US, and there are sporadic reliability issues, quality and speed are available at a cost if you really want them. And I'm willing to bet that mobile network coverage is better than what AT&T has in the US.

Recreation:

• As far as shopping is concerned, (almost) everything is available here. Electronics goods are maybe a little more expensive than in the US, but there is nothing that is difficult to get.
• If you're in a metro, or even Pune, there is now lots of international cuisine. Of course, not as much as in the US, but certainly much more than was available 5 or 10 years ago. Italian, Korean, Japanese, Mediterranean, French, Thai are all available in Pune, for example. McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Subway, California Pizza Kitchen, are all here too. And the Indian food here is far better than the Indian food in the US :-)
• Multiplexes have mushroomed, and have improved the movie-going experience, but they still remain a little more crowded than what I'd like.
• Many "western" activities are now available here. Bowling, Paintball, Pool, Hard-Rock Cafe, Microbreweries, are all available. Quality is lower than ideal, and there are only one or two of each per city.

Kids:

• Schools are getting better. There are now lots of options available. The old-style, regimented convent schools continue to go strong, but in addition now there are lots of newer schools who are willing to experiment with teaching methods. So there is lots of choice (but be prepared to spend a little).
• Lots of options for co-curricular and extra curricular activities. All kinds of classes are available at reasonable rates.
• If you have teenage kids, remember that social mores and standards of what is acceptable and permissible behavior are changing rapidly. So if you're coming back to India because "my kids will grow up in a more conservative culture", you're in for a surprise. Don't say I did not warn you. Dealing with teenagers doesn't become any easier just because you're in India.

Career:

• If you are a techie in the IT industry, and if you want to be an individual contributor, then you will certainly not get as good work here as you would in the US. There are some companies doing interesting stuff, but as your seniority increases, your options decrease. Since most of the customers are in the US, there is definitely a glass ceiling.
• If you're a manager, then India is a great place to be. The numbers of people and projects to manage keep increasing, the challenges interesting and varied. This is an exciting place to be.
• If you are the entrepreneur type, then India is like the Wild West. Very challenging, high chances of failure, but very exciting.
• For non-IT folks, I don't know the answer. Sorry.

Personal life:

• As with shifting to any new place, expect to find yourself suddenly friendless and lonely for the first few years. It takes time to make good friends.
• "Involvement" of family, and extended family in your life will be higher than you expected. To anyone who has spent 5+ years in the US, this will seem like an intrusion of privacy. This will bother you, (especially the wife, if you're a couple). US is a nice safe distance away from the in-laws. Coming back to India removes that layer of protection. This can be the biggest change in lifestyle. Takes at least 2/3 years to get used to.

Opinion:

• Overall, I find that life here is more varied and more interesting. I found life in the US to be too cut-n-dried, too regimented - all cities are similar (compared to how different Indian cities are). Most interactions follow set patterns. (Maybe it simply boils down to the fact that I grew up here, and hence I'll be most comfortable with this way of life.) In any case, I'm very happy with the decision of moving here.

If you have any questions about something I did not cover, please leave a comment and I can update my answer.

Footnote [1]:
This is a little anecdote to give an idea of how India works efficiently in some areas. On my second day in Pune, I went to a random shop down the street looking to buy a mobile phone (instrument + service). The shop-owner told me that I need a proof-of-residence, which I obviously did not have. He did not want to let go of a customer for such a minor reason, so he started exploring options:

Do you have parents who live here?
No.
Do you have any other relatives, an uncle perhaps?
No, but mother-in-law's brother does live here.
Ok, will he be willing to give an affidavit to the effect that he knows you and vouches for you?
Yes, he will but neither I nor he have the time or the expertise to get an affidavit.
No, Sir, don't worry. My man will get the affidavit ready, will go to your uncle's home, get his signature and finish the paper work.

So, I bought the phone instrument right away. I called up the uncle-in-law and told him to expect a guy to show up with an affidavit to sign, and I left. By that evening, all of this had been taken care of, and my mobile phone service had started.

Update: I believe readers of this question would also be interested in seeing the answers to


After IIT, IIM e-commerce companies new favourite of NIFT graduates

Prachi Verma,ET Bureau | May 8, 2015, 02.49 PM IST

​

According to the institute's Campus Placement Report (2015), a total of 90 companies participated and offered placements to 188 students.







NEW DELHI: Following in the footsteps of the graduates at IITs and IIMs, this year a greater number of students at premier design institute, NIFT Mumbai, are joining e-commerce companies and startups. In the recently

 

[yasir18]

There is nothing strange as India being at the bottom but position of Pakistan is really unbelievable. Even then, we have to do lot better because the situation is not ideal by any means.

 

[RiazHaq]

http://www.riazhaq.com/2011/10/india-leads-world-in-open-defecation.html

 

[affanpervez]

Pakistan improving sanitation way faster than India: Study

New York: Pakistan has left India far behind in terms of improving water and sanitation access for their citizens, reveals a new performance index released on Friday.While Pakistan was ranked five in the new index developed by The Water Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill`s Gillings School of Global Public Health in the US, India occupied an unenviable 92nd position.

High-performing countries for 2015 are those that achieved significant improvement in recent years compared to their peers. Low-performing countries are those that showed stagnation or decline in recent years compared to their peers.India`s ranking as a bottom-performer predates the recent launch of the "Clean India Mission" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sub-Saharan Africa countries including Mali, South Africa,

and Ethiopia are also among the top performers world-wide in spite of modest resources, according to the WaSH Performance Index that evaluates country performance in improving access to water and sanitation and in eroding inequalities in access. Other high performers include China, El Salvador, Niger, Egypt, and Maldives. Conversely, Russia, the Philippines and Brazil were bottom performers .

The index compares countries of all sizes and income levels. Using this method, the report revealed that a country`s gross domestic product did not determine performance in improving water and sanitation for its citizens. "This means that even countries with limited resources can make great strides if they have the right programs in place," said co-author of the report Jamie Bartram, director of The Water Institute at UNC."National governments, NGOs, and aid agencies can direct their resources toward building systems and capacity for action in countries that are lagging, and toward implementation where those capacities are in place and performing," Bartram noted.

Source

 

[Pukaar]

Re: Pakistan improving sanitation way faster than India: Study

Once Pakistan finally remove FILTH-E-AZAM Nawaz Shareef, the sanitation drive will be complete.

 

[RiazHaq]

#American Diplomat calls #Tamils, an #India ethnic group 'dark', 'dirty' http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wor...up-calling-dark-dirty-speech-article-1.948348 …


A U.S. diplomat's remarks calling Indian Tamils "dark" and "dirty" has national leaders calling for her to be expelled from the country.


Maureen Chao, an American consul diplomat in India, shocked students at SRM University in southern India Friday when she recounted her first trip to the country in 1989.


"I was on a 24-hour trip from Delhi to Orissa. But, after 72 hours, the train still did not reach the destination...and my skin became dirty and dark like the Tamilians," Chao told students, according to the Hindustan Times.


Chao's comments enraged the Tamil community, an Indian ethnic group, with leaders calling for her to be kicked out of the country.


"This remark which smacks of racism is highly condemnable," said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in a letter to the U.S. consul obtained by The Hindu.


"I would like to request you to impress upon Ms. Maureen Chao that she has to withdraw this remark and also apologize for having made such a comment on the Tamils," Jayalalithaa said.


Other political groups, including the Communist Party of India, called for Chao's withdrawal from the consulate.


"The ministry of foreign affairs should call her in person to express its opposition and expel her immediately from the country," said S. Ramadoss, founder of the PMK political group, to the Times of India.


The U.S. Consulate immediately issued an apology of sorts following the uproar over Chao's comments but did not indicate whether she would remain in her assignment.


"Ms. Chao made an inappropriate comment," read a post on the consulate's website. "Ms. Chao deeply regrets if her unfortunate remarks offended anyone, as that was certainly not her intent."


Chao did not outright say she was sorry for what she said.
`

 

[RiazHaq]

Re: Pakistan improving sanitation way faster than India: Study

#India: inherently unhygienic? #Indian writer touches third rail http://reut.rs/1pa6d7h via @Reuters

My Indian friends and I joke around a lot about me as the typical white American guy visiting India. Cows! Con men! Colors! Most people I’ve met in India have restricted their reactions to my westerner-in-the-east experiences to gentle teasing. When I stuck a picture of a man urinating in public on my Facebook page, calling it one more picture of what you see everywhere you go in India, people weren’t as patient. What was I doing? Insulting the nation? Focusing on the ugly because it’s what all the westerners do when they visit India? Why does India provoke such visceral reactions in visitors?

Public urination, public defecation, dirt, garbage, filth, the poor living on the street — talking about these things, even acknowledging that they’re in front of your face, risks making your hosts unhappy, and possibly angry. It’s the third rail of India, and the voltage can be lethal. That’s why I was surprised when B.S. Raghavan decided to touch it with all 10 fingers.

Raghavan’s column in The Hindu Business Line newspaper begins with this headline: Are Indians by nature unhygienic?

Consider these excerpts:

From time to time, in their unguarded moments, highly placed persons in advanced industrial countries have burst out against Indians for being filthy and dirty in their ways of life. A majority of visitors to India from those countries complain of “Delhi belly” within a few hours of arrival, and some fall seriously ill.

There is no point in getting infuriated or defensive about this. The general lack of cleanliness and hygiene hits the eye wherever one goes in India — hotels, hospitals, households, work places, railway trains, airplanes and, yes, temples. Indians think nothing of spitting whenever they like and wherever they choose, and living in surroundings which they themselves make unliveable by their dirty habits. …

Open defecation has become so rooted in India that even when toilet facilities are provided, the spaces round temple complexes, temple tanks, beaches, parks, pavements, and indeed, any open area are covered with faecal matter. …

Even as Indians, we are forced to recoil with horror at the infinite tolerance of fellow Indians to pile-ups of garbage, overflowing sewage, open drains and generally foul-smelling environs.

There’s plenty more that you can read in that story, but I’ll direct you to the article. I’ll also ask you some questions:

Some people say you shouldn’t point out these problems, and that every country has problems. Do you agree with this statement? Why?
Does anyone disagree with Raghavan’s descriptions of these sights and smells?
Is this even a problem? Or should people get used to it?
Should visitors, especially ones from countries where people are generally wealthier, say nothing, and pretend that they don’t see unpleasant things?
As for me, I can say this: I got used to it, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t notice it. Indians notice it too. Otherwise, people wouldn’t suggest public shaming campaigns against people urinating in public, they wouldn’t threaten fines for doing it, and they wouldn’t respond with relief to plans to finally make sure that toilets on India’s trains don’t open directly onto the tracks. Of course, these are people in India. It’s a family, taking care of business the family way.

As for me, the message usually seems to be: “If you don’t love it, leave it.” It would be nice if there were some other answer. Acknowledging problems, even ones that are almost impossible to solve, makes them easier to confront.