Government had launched Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM(G)] with effect from 2nd October, 2014, with the aim to make the country Open Defecation Free (ODF) by providing access to toilets to all the rural households. For this, under the SBM(G), individual household latrines (IHHL) are constructed for the households, which are used by all the members of the household including women. As reported by the States/UTs on the online Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), more than 11 crore IHHLs have been constructed under the programme. All the villages in the country have already declared themselves ODF. As evidenced in the Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2022, 95.4% of rural households in the country, including the women in such households, have access to toilets.
To cater to the sanitation needs of the households who do not have space to construct an IHHL, of floating/migrant population, and at places of large congregation, etc, the SBM(G) guidelines provide for construction of Community Sanitary Complexes (CSCs) by the Gram Panchayats at a suitable location that is easily accessible to all and having adequate water availability. The CSCs should also have separate facilities for men and women. As reported by the States/UTs, 2.19 lakh CSCs have been constructed under the programme.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.