The Indian government has included 100% urban sanitation as a goal in its 11th Five-Year Plan. Its ultimate aim is for people in urban areas to have access to safe sanitation facilities by 2012.

The focus of the plan is to generate awareness about sanitation and persuade people to adopt more hygienic practices. This will be backed up by improved toilet, sanitation and disposal facilities. The government also aims to mainstream sanitation in national, state and local institutions. States are to draw up sanitation strategies, which towns and cities will then have to operationalise in sanitation plans.

A national award will be introduced to recognise communities that perform best in terms of eliminating open defecation and open scavenging, protection for sanitary workers, safe collection of waste and other good hygiene practices. Cities will be rated as red, black, blue or green to denote their level of performance.

Over 30 million urban households in India (35% of the total) currently have inadequate access to sanitation facilities and more than 37% of human excreta is not disposed of safely.

Related news:

• India: on course for total sanitation by 2016, Source South Asia, 09 Oct 2008;
• India, Andhra Pradesh: total sanitation and more, Source South Asia, 19 Sep 2008

Web site: India - 11th Five-Year Plan

Source:Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Urban Development, 06 Oct 2008

Tags: policies & legislation, sanitation, south asia, urban wash