Lack of sanitation in South Asian countries

[Chrish]

Something that has always baffled me. Why would people not keep their own living space clean?

I know it's cultural but why would any culture allow it? When you visit these places, there is trash everywhere. There is no concept of garbage bin. People would just throw stuff where ever they are standing. There are mills in the living area and they dump all the polluted waste out in the open. This even results in lack of breathable air.

It's like they purposely want to stay behind the rest of the world. Everyone knows there is a problem but no one wants the solution which should be pretty simple. Is this how it will always be?

 

[sweep_shot]

It's the mindset. It is also about priorities.

I don't think it can be changed overnight. Maybe things will get better with future generations.

 

[Pakistanian]

There's a sense of entitlement, people there think cleaning is beneath them. I think it stems from the classism and caste system in the subcontinent. A lot of men see cleaning as "unmanly". Also it isn't a top priority for any of the governments cause they're used to living in trash.

 

[Mamoon]

I think this is lazy generalization. Personal hygiene is actually quite superior in South Asia compared to the West. For example, it is unthinkable in Pakistan to use toilet paper only. We have to use water for both #1 and #2.

Our households are quite clean as well. We don’t wear shoes indoors which is also something that is not very common in the West.

The major problem in South Asia is that people have little regard for keeping public places clean. This is where South-East Asian countries differ from South Asian ones.

 

[Pakistanian]

I think this is lazy generalization. Personal hygiene is actually quite superior in South Asia compared to the West. For example, it is unthinkable in Pakistan to use toilet paper only. We have to use water for both #1 and #2.

Our households are quite clean as well. We don’t wear shoes indoors which is also something that is not very common in the West.

The major problem in South Asia is that people have little regard for keeping public places clean. This is where South-East Asian countries differ from South Asian ones.

True in terms of personal hygiene south Asians are better than westerners although the latter are better when it comes using deodorant, also westerners are better when it comes to oral hygiene - getting their teeth cleaned regularly but the fact they don't wash after number 2 is nasty and a lot of western people don't even wash their hands after using the toilet.

The biggest area where south asians lose a lot of points is littering. That's the main problem. If south asians stopped littering and there was better waste management in the subcontinent then there's no reason why it can't be one of the cleanest regions in the world.

 

[Chrish]

Keeping your house clean doesn’t really matter when your entire country is like one gigantic trash can.

 

[UP]

Its mainly due to unplanned streets and severe lack of government policies regarding waste.

If cities were planned properly - it wouldnt have been a massive problem. Take a look at Islamabad - its quite clean compare to other South Asian cities.