Sanitation: It’s a Mess here
Sanitation is a very basic human need and is one of the primary drivers of public health, but unfortunately, in India, this facility is beyond the reach of millions of people. If we believe a report published in a leading newspaper, almost 60% of Indians defecate in the open. The condition is poorer in rural areas. In the data released by the NSSO (National Sample Survey Office), only 32% of the rural households have access to sanitation, and almost 1000 children below the age of 5 die every day in India due to diarrhea, hepatitis-causing pathogens, and other sanitation-related diseases. Poor sanitation not only negatively influences school attendance, especially for girls, but a report published in TIME magazine indicated that it is also the main culprit in the stunting of children in India. According to the World Bank, the sanitation deficit also translates into losses in GDP. The sanitation deficit in India is estimated to cost the country Rs 24,000 crores per year.Another report p