Centre directs all States, UTs to hold ground-level surveys, identify gaps and expedite construction of Individual Household Latrines

Central government directs states to accelerate IHHL construction for World Toilet Day, emphasizing sanitation's importance for health and dignity.

The Central government has directed all States and Union Territories to conduct ground-level surveys to identify existing gaps and expedite the construction of Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs) to mark World Toilet Day that falls on November 19.

Also, to reinforce efforts toward sustaining the nation’s Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, the Centre has directed that village-level registration drives and camps be organised to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries receive timely sanction orders for toilet construction.

In its official release, the government said that India has launched the campaign ‘Hamara Shauchalay: Hamara Samman’, linking sanitation with human rights and the universal need for dignity and privacy, especially for women and girls.

The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has been the cornerstone of India’s efforts to improve sanitation and eliminate open defecation, and the Central government noted that under the SBM Grameen, substantial progress has been made, including the construction of over 11.73 crore household toilets, resulting in more than 5.57 lakh ODF Plus villages.

“The mission has also registered positive economic impact saving ODF villages an average of ₹50,000 per family annually on healthcare. The urban counterpart, Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, also met and exceeded its targets, facilitating the construction of 63.63 lakh household latrines and over 6.36 lakh community and public toilets,’’ said the release.

It added that one of the facts about the need for toilets is that children living in fragile contexts are particularly vulnerable, being three times more likely to practice open defecation and eight times more likely to lack basic drinking water services. In conflict-affected areas, children under 15 are nearly three times more likely to die from diseases linked to poor sanitation than from direct violence, underscoring the catastrophic impact of inadequate sanitation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2023 that unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene are responsible for approximately 1,000 deaths of children under the age of five every day. Improved sanitation could potentially save 1.4 million lives annually, highlighting the urgent need for action.