Only around 50 pc of rural, 75 pc of urban households have exclusive access to bathroom: NSS

Only about 50.3 per cent of the households in the rural and about 75.0 per cent in the urban areas had exclusive access to the bathroom, during July-December 2018, according to the findings of National Sample Survey (NSS).

These findings are part of the report titled 'Drinking Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Housing Conditions in India'.

The National Statistical Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation conducted the survey on drinking water, sanitation, hygiene and housing condition as a part of 76th round of NSS.

"About 56.6 per cent of the households in rural and about 91.2 per cent in urban areas had access to the bathroom. Among the households which had access to the bathroom, about 48.4 per cent in the rural areas and about 74.8 per cent in the urban areas used bathroom attached to the dwelling unit," the report read.

Only 71.3 per cent of the households in the rural and about 96.2 per cent in the urban areas had access to a latrine. It may be noted that there may be respondent bias in the reporting of access to latrine as the question on benefits received by the households from government schemes was asked prior to the question on the access of households to a latrine.

The major type of latrine used by the households was flush or pour-flush to the septic tank in both rural and urban areas. About 50.9 per cent of the households in rural and 48.9 per cent in urban areas used flush or pour-flush to septic tank type of latrine.

Among the households which had access to a latrine, about 94.7 per cent of the males and 95.7 per cent of the females in the rural areas used latrine regularly while about 98.0 per cent of the males and 98.1 per cent of the females in the urban areas used latrine regularly.

Among the households which had access to a latrine, about 93.8 per cent of the males and 94.6 per cent of the females in the rural areas regularly used 'Improved Latrine' while about 97.2 per cent of both males and females in the urban areas regularly used 'Improved Latrine'.

The latrine of any of the types--flush or pour-flush to a piped sewer system, flush or pour-flush to a septic tank, flush or pour-flush to twin leach pit, flush or pour-flush to single pit, ventilated improved pit latrine, pit latrine with slab and composting latrine was considered as Improved Latrine.

Among the households which had access to latrine, about 85.8 per cent of the males and 86.4 per cent of the females in the rural areas regularly used Improved Latrine which was for exclusive use of the household while the corresponding figure was about 82.4 per cent for males and 84.7 per cent for females in the urban areas.

Among the households which had access to a latrine, about 3.5 per cent of the household members in the rural areas and about 1.7 per cent of the household members in the urban areas never used a latrine.

According to the NSS report, only about 58.2 per cent of the households in the rural and about 80.7 per cent in the urban areas had drinking water facilities within the household premises during July-December 2018.