Cheering for toilets, with caution
The country did successfully build 100 million toilets, but this success must be made sustainable
Swachh Survekshan Gramin reports 62% toilet coverage, surveys 0.72% villages in India
Toilet construction, rather than usage, seems to be the focus of the survey report
Children: victims of war and poverty
Punjab closer to ODF sustainability with community toilet guidelines
Recommendations not clear on how to treat waste, reuse groundwater
Kolkata sewer deaths: Do not improve sewerage and water supply at the cost of sanitation workers
4 lives lost puts many on the dock including local officials as well as state government
Behaviour change at many levels needed to make India open defecation-free
National Consultation on Rural Sanitation calls for triggering mindset change, but lack of credible data on health and sanitation is a challenge
Not yet clean
Swachh Bharat Mission completes two years, but India is far from achieving its goal.
NFHS-5: Why figures on improved sanitation shouldn’t be taken on face value
The latest NHFS-5 figures on improved sanitation are restricted to a select number of households and individuals and have been taken from a …
Rooftop rainwater harvesting: A tool for refashioning India’s water management praxis
Discipline of water management is now situated at the precipice of change; it has opened its traditionally closed and ‘elite’ …
Swachh Bharat is now about toilets built, not change in attitude: Experts
At a book launch in New Delhi, sanitation experts say the scheme has defeated the purpose of community-led total sanitation approach
Coercive measures under Swachh Bharat Mission impinging on people’s freedom
Due to strict deadline of the SBM, the officials are now trying to coerce communities to stop open defecation and passing stringent laws
Drought hinders efforts to make Maharashtra open defecation-free
The drought scenario in Maharashtra forces us to think what will happen to the ambitious plan of making the state 100 per cent Open Defecation-free
Simply put: No basic facilities, no vote
A clean act
Thirty-year journey to ODF
Sanitation programmes remained a mirage until the government shifted focus to information, education and communication
Rural poor yet to see benefits of improving sanitation in Tanzania
Open defecation has reduced from 20% in 2012 to 5% in 2017 but benefits have largely gone to the rich
Ethiopia curbed open defecation at fastest rate; what can India learn?
Unlike India, Ethiopia has recognised sanitation as a health problem and focused on behavioural change over toilet construction
The world needs more toilets – but not ones that flush
The invention of the flush toilet was probably one of the most unsustainable innovations in human history
'India’s sanitation crisis is the biggest in the world'
According to Jack Sim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat movement is a historic moment to transform India into a healthy …
Agriculture, rural jobs, food subsidy need big boost
Will the drubbing it faced in Delhi election and the huge controversy over its land Bill make BJP reconsider its economic thrust areas?
India even behind Somalia when it comes to safely managing sanitation services
The JMP report also shows significant inequalities in basic drinking water and sanitation services within regions
Sanitary insights
January 2, 2017, is the 15th death anniversary of Anil Agarwal, founder of the Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth. This year, …
How true were PM Modi’s claims made during Independence Day speech?
A probing look into his claims reveals that not all that he said is in sync with the official data
Urban India's deprived lot
India is becoming dominantly urban, and the urban poor, who are increasing in numbers, face exclusion from basic amenities like safe drinking …
India's missing toilets
Government unable to determine exactly how many households don't have toilets