Lok Sabha Question No. 3684 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-18
Subject: Open Defecation Free Status
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: S. Venkatesan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3684 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.3.2021

## OPEN DEFECATION FREE STATUS

## 3684. SHRI S. VENKATESAN:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the total number of households which do not have toilet constructed under Swachh Bharat Mission so far;

(b) the details of the villages not having Sanitary Complex yet;

(c) whether it  is true that the Public Sanitary Complexes are commonly utilized by the Dalit population;

(d) whether the construction of toilets equated with quitting the practice of open defecation; and

(e) the details of the efforts made for behavioural change of people on sanitation?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

(a) Under  Swachh  Bharat  Mission  (Grameen)  [SBM(G)],  all  Below  Poverty  Line  (BPL) households and identified Above  Poverty Line  (APL) households (SC/ST  households, households  with  physically  disabled  person,  landless  labourers  with  homestead,  small  and marginal farmers and women headed households) are eligible for incentive for the construction of Individual Household Latrine (IHHL).  All others are encouraged to construct their toilet on their own, through Information, Education and Communication (IEC) interventions.  Since the launch of SBM(G) on 2 nd October, 2014, 10.76 crore IHHLs have so far been constructed as per the data reported by the States/UTs on the online Integrated Management Information System (IMIS)  of  SBM(G).      Out  of  these,  8.90  crore  IHHLs  have  been  reported  constructed  with SBM(G) funds only.  Remaining IHHLs have been reported constructed under other Schemes (MGNREGS,  PMAY,  Namami  Gange,  etc),  convergence  with  these  schemes,  and  selffinancing.

(b) & (c) SBM(G) guidelines provide that Gram Panchayats should construct Community Sanitary Complexes (CSCs), on need basis, to cater to the sanitation needs of households who do  not  have  individual  toilets  due  to  lack  of  space  or  for  floating/migrant  population,  or  at places  where  large  congregation  of  people  usually  takes  place,  etc.    For  the  construction  of CSC, priority  is  to  be  given  to the  locations  with  predominant  SC/ST  habitations,  poorest of poor in the village and/or those visited by migrant labourers/floating population etc. As per the data reported by the States/UTs on the online IMIS, 1,37,504 villages have CSCs.

(d) No,  Sir.    Under  SBM(G),  ODF  has  been  defined  as  termination  of  faecal-oral transmission, by ensuring, a) no visible faeces found in the environment/village and, b) every household as well as public/community institution(s) using safe technology option for disposal of faeces.

(e)    Emphasis  of  SBM(G)  has  been  on  IEC  and  Community  Approach to Sanitation (CAS). Massive media campaigns have been carried out at national level using Audio Visual (TV) and Audio (Radio). States have also conducted IEC campaigns using Inter Personal Communication (IPC)  techniques.    Cleanliness  campaigns  are  held  at  regular  intervals  to  create  social awareness.    To  educate  the  people,  the  programme  also  lays  emphasis  on  community involvement.

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