Union Government Informed that Sanitation Coverage in Rural areas Took a Quantum Jump

Union Government on 16 August 2011 informed that sanitation coverage in rural areas has increased to more than 73 percent as of July, 2011, which was only 21.9 percent as per the 2001 census. The Total Sanitation Campaign, TSC, launched by the government is operative in 607 rural districts of the country at present with the main goal of eradicating the practice of open defecation and ensuring clean environment. This was stated by Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister for Rural Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on 16 August 2011.

He said, the main components under the programme are incentives for Individual Household Latrines, School Sanitation and Hygiene Education, assistance for Community Sanitary Complex, Anganwadi toilets and Solid and Liquid Waste Management. The Minister added that against the total project objectives of 13.15 lakh school toilet units under TSC, 11.9 lakh have been reported to be constructed as per progress reported by the States through on line data monitoring system maintained by the Ministry, which indicates an achievement of 85 percent of the project objectives as of July, 2011. Moreover Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan of the Ministry of Human Resource Development provides for construction of separate toilets for boys and girls in all new school buildings constructed under that programme.