With the “definition of a toilet changing every 20 odd kms in rural India,” 1.30 crore Government-built toilets doesn’t fit any definition in India and remains unused, with beneficiaries preferring the outdoors for defecation.

Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWS), Choudhary Birender Singh said here today: “the definition of a toilet changes every 20 odd kms in the villages and this has been there for years. So to think of bringing about a change of mindset in a fortnight is not possible.”

What the  Minister meant by stating definition of a toilet changes as most of the people in the rural areas defecate outdoors and it depends on the time of topography where they relieve themselves, be it a agricultural field, canal, River etc.

Expressing “deep concern” over the 1.30 crore toilets built by the Government remaining non-functional, he wondered how to bring about a change in the mindset of the people, as merely building toilets won’t address the problem of open defecation.

“The Government has so far built 6 crore toilets in the country. Last year alone we built 80 lakh toilets, but just by building toilets we cannot achieve success in our open defecation free programme,” the Minster said about the old habits of people dying hard. The DWS Ministry has targeted 2019 for every household - which otherwise now goes outdoors for defecation – to have a toilet.

 

“The mindset has to change, if we are to succeed in our Swachh Bharat campaign. The Government alone cannot do everything, the people must come forward and be part of the change,” Singh, who was here for the National Consultation on Sanitation Partnership, said.

Asked about the way forward, Singh said a lot of awareness programme is being organized at the grassroots level. “The campaign is also being taken forward through social media, NGOs and community leaders,” the Union Minster said.

Exuding confidence about the northeastern region achieving 100 per cent success in the open defecation free programme, Singh said, in the next two to three years, every household would have a toilet.

He, meanwhile, said that the Centre is providing Rs. 10800 for the construction of toilets in the northeast, while the amount is Rs. 9000 for the rest of the country.