Over 50% people in India defecate in the open: Government
The Union Minister said that it is true that more than 50% of people in India do not have access to toilets.
Over fifty percent of the population defecates in the open in India which has highest number of people in the world indulging in the practice, Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday. Replying to a question about whether India has the highest number of people in the world defecating in the open, Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav replied in affirmative. "Yes. As per Joint Monitoring Programme Report, 2015, 59.43% of people defecating in open in the world are from India," said Yadav, Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation.Responding to another question, the minister said the number of persons defecating in the open in the country has decreased to 50.05 % (as on February 19, 2016) from 57.95 % as on October 2, 2014 when the 'Swachh Bharat' Mission (Gramin) was launched."As per data submitted by states/Union Territories on online Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), the percentage of rural households defecating in open was 57.95 % on October 2, 2014. This has decreased to 50.05 % on February 19, 2016," he said.Nadia (in West Bengal), Indore (in Madhya Pradesh) and Bikaner (in Rajasthan) districts have been declared open defecation-free by respective state governments after the Mission was launch. The minister said Sikkim, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh have least number of rural households which defecate in open at 0.10 %, 3.69 % and 5.49 % respectively.On the other hand, Odisha, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir have higher number of people defecating in open at 77.16 %, 76.25 % and 67.68 % respectively. The minister said that under the Mission, the government has set a goal to achieve Swachh Bharat by October 2, 2019.