Lok Sabha Question No. 147 (STARRED), answered on 2017-12-28
Subject: Open Defecation Free Districts
Ministry: DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
Asked by: RABINDRA KUMAR JENA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *147 (7 th Position) TO BE ANSWERED ON 28-12-2017

## Open Defecation Free Districts

## *147. SHRI RABINDRA KUMAR JENA:

Will the Minister of DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of Open Defecation Free (ODF) districts and the number of districts that are yet to be declared ODF, State/UTwise;
- (b) whether any study is conducted to ascertain the use of the toilets constructed under the Swachh Bharat Mission- Gramin (SBM-G), before a village is declared as ODF and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is aware of any independent rapid studies by sanitation researchers like Institute of Development Studies, Water Aid and Praxis claiming that several ODF villages have actually not been free from open defecation;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard, State-wise; and
- (e) whether any mechanism currently exists for independent verification of claims of ODF areas made by Panchayats and States, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION (SUSHREE UMA BHARATI)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

## Statement referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.*147 for 28.12.2017

(a) State/UT-wise, no. of districts declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) districts and the  number  of  districts  that  are  yet  to  be  declared  ODF  as  on  22.12.2017  is  at Annexure-1.

(b) As per the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin guidelines issued by the Ministry of Drinking  Water  and  Sanitation,  a  village  self-declares  itself  Open  Defecation  Free (ODF) through a transparent  process at an aam sabha meeting, where citizens of the village  come  together  and  affirm  that  the  village  has  become  ODF,  and  that  all households use toilets. The process of verification of this ODF declaration is the next step and happens within 90 days of the declaration.

(c)  to  (d)   Institute  of  Development  Studies  and  WaterAid  undertook  a  research project  to  learn  from  the  experiences  of  districts  that  had  been  declared  open defecation free. It was done in eight villages in Madhya Pradesh (3), Uttar Pradesh (2) and Rajasthan (3), in districts which had been declared open defecation free (ODF). Since it is based on a very small size of sample and not rigorously conducted , the study cannot be generalized.

Feedback from all quarters is used to improve the programme. Any instance of any lapse brought to the attention of the Ministry is intimated to the state for appropriate action as sanitation is a state subject.

(e) The Ministry has issued Guidelines for Open Defecation Free (ODF) verification dated  3rd  September,  2015.  The  SBM(G)  guidelines  prescribe  that  verification  be carried out within three months of the declaration. State Governments are conducting ODF verification using  different  processes,  but  all  verifications  are  through  a  third party  -  inter-block  teams,  district  teams,  inter-departmental  teams,  hired  third  party agencies etc. The Ministry also carries out 3 rd Party verification by Ministry for ODF villages.

## Statement referred in part (a) of the reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.147 due for reply on 28-12-2017

| State/UT-wise, No. of ODF districts and districts yet to be declared ODF as on 22.12.2017   | State/UT-wise, No. of ODF districts and districts yet to be declared ODF as on 22.12.2017   | State/UT-wise, No. of ODF districts and districts yet to be declared ODF as on 22.12.2017   | State/UT-wise, No. of ODF districts and districts yet to be declared ODF as on 22.12.2017   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State/UT                                                                                    | Total Districts                                                                             | ODF declared district                                                                       | Districts yet to be declared ODF                                                            |
| A &NIslands                                                                                 | 3                                                                                           | 0                                                                                           | 3                                                                                           |
| Andhra Pradesh                                                                              | 13                                                                                          | 4                                                                                           | 9                                                                                           |
| Arunachal Pradesh                                                                           | 20                                                                                          | 9                                                                                           | 11                                                                                          |
| Assam                                                                                       | 27                                                                                          | 3                                                                                           | 24                                                                                          |
| Bihar                                                                                       | 38                                                                                          | 0                                                                                           | 38                                                                                          |
| Chandigarh                                                                                  | 1                                                                                           | 1                                                                                           | 0                                                                                           |
| Chhattisgarh                                                                                | 27                                                                                          | 20                                                                                          | 7                                                                                           |
| D &NHaveli                                                                                  | 1                                                                                           | 0                                                                                           | 1                                                                                           |
| Daman &Diu                                                                                  | 2                                                                                           | 2                                                                                           | 0                                                                                           |
| Goa                                                                                         | 2                                                                                           | 0                                                                                           | 2                                                                                           |
| Gujarat                                                                                     | 33                                                                                          | 33                                                                                          | 0                                                                                           |
| Haryana                                                                                     | 22                                                                                          | 22                                                                                          | 0                                                                                           |
| Himachal Pradesh                                                                            | 12                                                                                          | 12                                                                                          | 0                                                                                           |
| Jammu &Kashmir                                                                              | 22                                                                                          | 3                                                                                           | 19                                                                                          |
| Jharkhand                                                                                   | 24                                                                                          | 3                                                                                           | 21                                                                                          |
| Karnataka                                                                                   | 30                                                                                          | 15                                                                                          | 15                                                                                          |
| Kerala                                                                                      | 14                                                                                          | 14                                                                                          | 0                                                                                           |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                                              | 51                                                                                          | 13                                                                                          | 38                                                                                          |
| Maharashtra                                                                                 | 34                                                                                          | 15                                                                                          | 19                                                                                          |
| Manipur                                                                                     | 9                                                                                           | 0                                                                                           | 9                                                                                           |
| Meghalaya                                                                                   | 11                                                                                          | 3                                                                                           | 8                                                                                           |
| Mizoram                                                                                     | 8                                                                                           | 5                                                                                           | 3                                                                                           |
| Nagaland                                                                                    | 11                                                                                          | 4                                                                                           | 7                                                                                           |
| Odisha                                                                                      | 30                                                                                          | 1                                                                                           | 29                                                                                          |
| Puducherry                                                                                  | 2                                                                                           | 0                                                                                           | 2                                                                                           |
| Punjab                                                                                      | 22                                                                                          | 12                                                                                          | 10                                                                                          |
| Rajasthan                                                                                   | 33                                                                                          | 18                                                                                          | 15                                                                                          |
| Sikkim                                                                                      | 4                                                                                           | 4                                                                                           | 0                                                                                           |
| Tamil Nadu                                                                                  | 31                                                                                          | 6                                                                                           | 25                                                                                          |
| Telangana                                                                                   | 30                                                                                          | 9                                                                                           | 21                                                                                          |
| Tripura                                                                                     | 8                                                                                           | 0                                                                                           | 8                                                                                           |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                                               | 75                                                                                          | 6                                                                                           | 69                                                                                          |
| Uttarakhand                                                                                 | 13                                                                                          | 13                                                                                          | 0                                                                                           |
| West Bengal                                                                                 | 22                                                                                          | 10                                                                                          | 12                                                                                          |
|                                                                                             | 685                                                                                         | 260                                                                                         | 425                                                                                         |