Over 7 mn toilets built in urban areas under Swachh Bharat Mission: Kant

Several transformative initiatives were implemented, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said

Due to concerted efforts under Swachh Bharat Mission more than seven million toilets have been constructed in urban areas and several transformative initiatives were implemented, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has said.

According to an official statement, Kant while releasing a book on faecal sludge and septage management in urban areas on Tuesday said after achieving the open-defecation-free (ODF) target, the government is determined to further improve public health outcomes.

"Due to concerted efforts under Swachh Bharat Mission, more than 7 million toilets have been constructed in urban areas and several transformative initiatives have been implemented, thus enabling India to leapfrog in the sanitation sector like never before," he said.

Also speaking at the event, MoHUA Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra said that considering the importance of National Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (NFSSM)solutions, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs came up with the national policy on it in 2017.

The policy has been rigorously pursued across the country - more than 24 states have adopted it and 12 of them have come up with their own policies, he added.

According to the statement, the target of universal access to toilets was achieved in urban India with the construction of 66 lakh household toilets and more than 6 lakh community and public toilets.

After achieving the target of open-defecation-free, India has now moved towards becoming ODF+ and ODF++, it added.

The statement also said the FSSM planning prioritises human excreta management, a waste stream with a high potential for spreading diseases.