Question : Urbanisation and Sanitation Facilities

(a) whether rapid increase in urbanisation raises concerns over the development of infrastructure services of sewerage and sanitation to serve the urban centres and if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto;
(b) whether the Government is aware that as per World Health Organisation (WHO) report a dollar spent on sanitation saves nine dollars spent on health, education, and economic development and if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto; and
(c) the details of sanitation coverage as sanitation includes safe disposal of human waste, waste water management, solid waste management, water supply, control of vector borne diseases, domestic and personal hygiene, food, housing, etc.?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION
(SHRI RAMESH CHANDAPPA JIGAJINAGI)
(a) Yes, Madam.As sanitation is a State subject, development of sewerage and sanitation infrastructure is being undertaken by the State governments. However, to supplement the efforts of the State governments, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) was launched on 2nd October, 2014 with the aim at making urban India free from open defecation and achieving 100% scientific management of municipal solid waste in 4041 statutory towns in the country.
(b) Yes, Madam. As per World Health Organisation (WHO) Study titled “The health and economic cost of poor sanitation” available on their website, every dollar spent on sanitation saves nine dollars spent on health, education, and economic development. Keeping in view the importance of sanitation, Government of India had launched Swachh Bharat Mission with effect from 2nd October, 2014 with the aim to achieve universal sanitation coverage in the country by 2nd October 2019 and huge investments have been made on this by the Central and the State Governments.
(c) As per the information available on the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of SBM (Gramin), the rural sanitation coverage in the country is 97.72% as on 21.12.2018. And, for urban areas, as per the information received from Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, SBM (Urban) has attained 92.15% targets in construction of individual household toilets and 95.44% target in construction of Community Toilets/Public Toilets.