World Toilet Day: India's Toilet Statistics Continue To Raise a Stink

BENGALURU: Did you know November 19 is World Toilet Day?

Well, that is not the news. The news is, on the occasion of this occasion a survey by an international NGO called Water Aid reveals if the number of people waiting for household toilets in India are counted then the number of heads is around 774million, reports Business Standard.

If a queue of the number Indians waiting for household toilets is made then 5,892 years will be needed to get it cleared and each getting a turn of 4-minutes inside the washroom. The queue will cover the same distance as between the earth and moon.

This makes India have the longest queue for toilet use.

The issue is indeed a serious where the sanitation problem of the country comes into lime light. Research reveals open defecation in the country is in wide use especially in unofficial, un-serviced slums.

The Water Aid report said, "The resulting health crisis is a serious matter. More than 140,000 children younger than five years die each year in India from diarrhea. Nearly 40 per cent of India’s children are stunted; this will affect both their life chances and the future prosperity of India.”

The country is also linked to high rates of maternal and newborn mortality linked to sepsis.

The same report shows that 173 people defecate in open at every square kilometer stretch in India.

The report said, "That ratio would be the same as 500 people having to defecate in the open in the Square Mile of the City of London, or 15,000 people in Manhattan, New York City.”

The second in the list is Haiti with 72 defecating in open in every square kilometer.

Nepal, Togo and Benin is much smaller to India area wise but stands far beyond in this excretory issue. Nepal has in fact made incredible initiatives in both water and sanitation in recent years.

The report has considered all years’ time between 1990-2015.

Maximum improvement in the sanitation sector has been shown by Pacific island nation of Tokelau (population 1,400), a territory of New Zealand and Vietnam. The latter has 80pct of its population following a healthy sanitation habit.

The report also made comments on Modi’s Swaatch Bharat mission. It’s this Prime Ministerial initiative that built 8mn new toilets across the country. However Water Aid suggests a rise 500bn could have solved the problem completely.

The report makes mention, "But, to succeed, more funding, greater government prioritization at all levels and a focus on changing people’s behavior to ensure everyone uses these new toilets will be required. If just one person continues to defecate in the open, the environment remains polluted for everyone.”

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