While we near the deadline of October 2, 2019 for ODF, concerns like non-functional toilets, poor sewage and drainage systems, lack of water, and poor faecal sludge management demand immediate attention of the new government
In the last five years India saw a renewed focus on sanitation with the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) which aims to provide universal sanitation coverage by providing funds for constructing toilets, promoting solid waste management and awareness about better health and sanitation.
As per government data, over nine crore toilets have been built in rural areas since 2014. While we near the deadline of October 2, 2019, when the government has pledged to make India open defecation free (ODF) by providing access to toilets to all rural households; concerns like non-functional toilets, poor sewage and drainage systems, lack of water, and poor faecal sludge management demand immediate attention of the new government.
A map released in January 2019 by Harvard Centre for Population and Development Studies on sanitation, among other health and development indicators, shows over a 100 out of 543 constituencies where over 73.2 per cent people had pitiable sanitation conditions and another 100-120 where only less than 4.02 per people had access to improved sanitation.
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