This finding is, however, from a two-month rapid survey, considered too short by experts
India’s Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has released the Swachhata Status Report, 2016, which states that the usage of toilets is 95.6 per cent in rural India and 98.8 per cent in urban areas.
These figures were found in a rapid survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under MOSPI during May-June 2015. It studied 73,176 rural households and 41,538 urban households. It covered all states of India, except Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura where it could not be conducted due to logistical problems and limited availability of time.
The rapid survey suggests that 42.5 per cent of rural household toilets and 87.9 per cent of urban household toilets have access to water. The survey also talks about solid and liquid waste management. More than 36 per cent of urban areas are reported to be equipped with a proper liquid disposal system. Around 36.7 per cent of villages have pakki nali (permanent drain) and 19 per cent of villages have katchi nali (temporary/non-cemented drain) as drainage arrangement to deal with waste water coming from rural households.
The survey says that an estimated 52.1 per cent of people in rural areas practise open defecation. Among the states surveyed, Jharkhand fares the worst, with Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha showing a high rate of open defecation. In urban India, the percentage of persons practising open defecation was much lower at 7.5 per cent.
The report also brings together all relevant information about different sanitation programmes being implemented by the government. Some important findings of the report are as follows:
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.