Digital Solutions for Sanitation Related Infrastructure

S.K Khanna
Clean India Campaign/Initiative launched in 2014 to end open defecation with a focused approach on strengthening sanitation-related infrastructure is set to change the public sanitation scenario in the country. Strengthening the basic sanitation-related facilities and infrastructure, say experts, appears to be the best–placed option to solve grassroot health problems faced by the people. The Clean India Initiative is being pursued through Conventional and Modern Digital Technology methodologies.

Conventional methodology

Under the conventional methodology, in the last five years, more than 11 crore (110 million) toilets have been constructed. Half a billion people have quit defecating in open spaces since 2014, when the program was started. A survey by a verification agency under World Bank supervision found that 90.4 percent of villages are now open defection free, over 93 percent of rural households have access to toilets, and 96.5 percent of them use them. WHO estimates suggest that thousands of lives may have been saved by the program.