Sanitation and Hygiene

When Panchamlal Mahto was a toddler, he would frequently squat and poop as the urge took him irrespective of where he was. His mother would take a handful of ash and sprinkle it over the 'gift'. The ash would absorb the liquid, enabling the whole mess to be easily swept away. Back then, Vinita was still not born.

Clean surroundings, clean water and a clean toilet – as much as Cuttack, in Odisha is a thriving centre of trade and commerce, it lacked these three basic necessities. An exploratory survey was conducted in 2009 to understand why the city hadn't reached a better state of cleanliness.

MoEF revalidates POSCO's clearance

Environment ministry revalidates environmental clearance of POSCO's steel project in Odisha, though a major hurdle of National Green Tribunal's decision on the project, lies ahead.

Improved sanitation can reduce diarrhoea cases by 47%: World Bank

Welfare schemes not of much use to urban slums

Kejriwal frees water in Delhi

Kumbh Mela left its trash behind

Kerala scores worst in access to potable water: NSSO

Centre issues guidelines to simplify green clearance process

India's rural sanitation programme- Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) was started in 1999, with a goal of eradicating open defecation. Renamed to Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) in April 2012, the focus and approach of this programme was supposed to undergo a paradigm shift.