Open defecation free as a result of the Swachh Bharat Mission

Open defecation free as a result of the Swachh Bharat Mission

2535. SHRI S. VENKATESAN:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the country has become open defecation free as a result of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is a fact that according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), nineteen per cent of households do not use any toilet facility, meaning that they practice open defecation and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether there is any State/Union Territory, except for Lakshadweep, where hundred per cent of the population has access to a toilet;

(d) if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the steps being/proposed to be taken by the Government to make India open defecation free?

(a) to (e) Sanitation is a State subject, and hence the task of providing toilets, initiating behavior change activities, as well as providing Solid and Liquid Waste Management arrangements and sustaining the various activities vests with the states. Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on 2nd October 2014 with the aim to make the country Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2nd October, 2019. During the period of five years from the launch of the programme, more than 10 crore individual household latrines (IHHLs) were built across all States/UTs, and as of 2nd October 2019, all States/UTs had self-reported themselves ODF. All the districts had uploaded certificate signed by District Collector/Magistrate confirming the ODF status of the districts. The States/UTs were however advised to cover any left out households or new households under the programme to support them for construction of toilets. It is to be noted that apart from access/availability of latrine, its continued usage plays an important role in the ODF status, which is primarily a behaviroural issue. Under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM(G)] Phase-II, which has been launched from 1st April, 2020 with focus on continuation of behaviour change campaign, sustaining ODF status, ensuring that No One is Left Behind, and providing arrangements for Solid and Liquid Waste Management in rural areas, provision for incentive for left out/newly emerging households for construction of toilets has been continued.

 

National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is primarily focussed on health and captures about 131 indicators. Sanitation is only a very small part of it, which is captured as part of Household assets. Even in Sanitation, historically NFHS had been looking at usage of an improved toilet. NFHS was traditionally not capturing access to toilet, but in round 5, after inputs from DDWS, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare included a question on access to toilet.

Based on the initial findings of NFHS 5 and considering that this was a deviation from the department’s estimates of sanitation coverage, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation had issued an advisory to the States to take up, at their level, a sample based rapid assessment of gaps to understand the ground situation. The rapid assessment undertaken by sample States do not match with the findings of NFHS-5. Some of the States who have reported huge variation are as under:

State	Percentage rural sanitation coverage as per NFHS-5	Percentage rural sanitation coverage as per rapid assessment done by the State
Madhya Pradesh	69.8	97.5
Odisha	68.9	93.4
Telangana	83.1	99.9
Uttar Pradesh	72.7	93.0

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