27% households with toilets still prefer open defecation: Survey

Bengaluru: About one in four respondents with a toilet at home still prefer open defecation, a government-approved survey has found, revealing how entrenched the practice is despite years of public spending to improve hygiene.

A total of 1,121 respondents from 13 districts were asked about the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in an evaluation study whose findings have been published by the state-run Karnataka Monitoring and Evaluation Authority (KMEA).

While 73% of respondents said their family members use toilets, 27% of them reported open defecation.

“When asked the reason for not using toilets, the majority of the respondents were of the view that they are comfortable and prefer defecation in the open,” the survey report stated. Some of the respondents said they do not use toilets “due to unavailability of water and light,” the report added.

In contrast, all respondents said they were aware that unsafe sanitation practices, such as open defecation, significantly increase health risks.

The survey, which also evaluated the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and biogas plants in the state, was done by Pan India Network.

“Raichur, Ballari, Kalaburgi and Belagavi report more cases of open defecation, which indicates these areas still face significant challenges in sanitation,” the report stated. “Kolar, Shivamogga, Dharwad and Hassan show no cases of open defecation in the responses, suggesting these areas may be more successful in tackling sanitation issues, likely due to better infrastructure or higher community awareness,” it stated.

All the respondents said they received government grants to build toilets.

According to data, over 54 lakh individual household latrines (IHHL) have been constructed in both rural and urban areas under the Swachh Bharat Mission in Karnataka.

Overall, the survey found that toilets built and efficient door-to-door household waste collection under SBM “significantly reduced” open defecation, with many reporting a decline in diseases like diarrhoea, malaria and dengue”.

Access to adequate, equitable sanitation, hygiene and ending open defecation by 2030 is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The report recommended empowering local communities to eliminate open defecation. “Compact toilet designs that require minimal space can be provided in smaller areas to facilitate the construction of toilets for the household having the space constraints,” it stated.