India is on course to achieve total sanitation nationwide by 2016. With open defecation still a serious problem, the latest developments are a boost for the government's Total Sanitation Campaign.

The Indian government initiated the Total Sanitation Campaign to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation. The main aim is to provide all the country's households with water and sanitation facilities and promote hygienic practices.

665 million people in India still practice open defecation, despite the successes of the Campaign. In some villages which were awarded prizes for their progress in improving sanitation, people are reported to be going back to open defecation, many using toilets for other purposes.

Despite these setbacks, several states are due to achieve total sanitation ahead of the 2016 deadline. West Bengal is expected to be first, in 2010, followed by Andhra Pradesh in 2013. Chhattisgarh is currently bringing up the rear, with 2022 as its target year.

With five of India's top killer diseases - diarrhoea, typhoid, jaundice, malaria and schistosomiasis - being caused by lack of hygiene, and 443 million school days lost each year due to poor hygiene and sanitation, the challenge extends much further than winning prizes or meeting targets.

Related news:

• India: rising costs hit total sanitation campaign, Source South Asia, 25 Sep 2008;
• India, Andhra Pradesh: total sanitation and more, Source South Asia, 19 Sep 2008

Web site: India - Dept. of Drinking Water Supply- Total Sanitation Campaign

Source: The Hindu, 06 Oct 2008

Tags: information and communication, on-site sanitation, south asia, water-related diseases