(a) whether more than fifty per cent of rural population in
the country lack toilet facilities and defecate in open;
(b) if so, the details and percentage thereof, State/UT-wise;
(c) whether the Government has set any target to eliminate the
practice of open defecation;
(d) if so, the details thereof and the time frame fixed for
the said purpose; and
(e) the details of the steps taken/being taken by the Government
to eliminate the practice of open defecation in rural areas of
the country?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) IN THE MINISTRY OF DRINKING
WATER AND SANITATION
(SHRI BHARATSINH SOLANKI)
(a) and (b) As per census 2011, 67.33% of rural households are not
having access to latrines. State/UT-wise details is at Annexure-1.
(c) and (d) Yes Madam. Under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan(NBA), Govt. of
India has set the target to make country open defecation free by
the year 2022..
(e) Government of India has designed a paradigm shift in Total
Sanitation Campaign(TSC) which is now called the Nirmal Bharat
Abhiyan (NBA), in the XIIth Five Year Plan. The objective of NBA
is to achieve sustainable behavior change with provision of
sanitary facilities in entire communities in a phased, saturation
mode with “Nirmal Grams’ as outcomes. NBA goal is to achieve 100%
access to sanitation for all rural households by 2022.
Under NBA, following steps have been taken :
# A shift from motivating individual household toilet construction
to covering whole communities in a Gram Panchayat saturation mode
for holistic sanitation outcomes.
# The scope of providing incentives for individual household latrine
units has been widened to cover all APL households, who belong to SCs,
STs, small and marginal farmers, landless labourers with homesteads,
physically challenged and women headed households along-with all BPL
households. Financial incentive for construction of toilets has been
raised for all eligible beneficiaries to Rs. 4600/- from the earlier
amount of Rs 3200/-.under NBA. In addition upto Rs. 4500/- can be
spent under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
for construction of the toilet. Along-with beneficiary contribution of
Rs. 900/-, the total unit cost of toilet is now Rs. 10000/-.
(Rs. 10500/- for Hilly and difficult areas)
# More emphasis on Information Education Communication (IEC).with
earmarked 15% of the total outlay of district projects for IEC
activities. With a view to give thrust to a new approach towards
IEC, the Ministry has launched a Communication and Advocacy
Strategy (2012-2017).
# Conjoint approach with National Rural Drinking Water Programme
(NRDWP) to ensure water availability for sanitation in Gram
Panchayats. Focused convergence of rural sanitation with
associated Ministries including Health, School Education,
Women and Child Development with NBA.