New Delhi: Nearly 43 per cent of India’s rural population defecates in open, according to the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
According to a report published in 2015, 59.43 per cent of the world’s population that defecates in the open, lives in India, Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Jigajinagi said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
“As per Online Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, 42.85 per cent of rural population defecates in open as on November 21, 2016,” Ramesh Jigajinagi said.
“Poverty and lack of infrastructure are some of the major reasons behind poor sanitation. However, sanitation is primarily a behavioural issue. It involves change of mindset among people to stop open defecation and adopt safe sanitation practices,” he added.
The Centre had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2, 2014, which aims at attaining clean India by October 2019.
