Toilets and Urinals

In the race against time to ensure safe access to sanitation, reminiscent of the tenacious hummingbird who does what she can to fight the great fire – carrying droplets of water in her beak, collective efforts and private sector engagement emerge as pivotal forces.

Inadequate sanitation poses significant global risks, affecting over four billion people. Insufficient access to proper facilities leads to social, psychological, and physical threats, contributing to 6.3% of global deaths. India, with one billion residents, grapples with open defecation, affecting half the population.

The prevalence of open defecation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including India, is one of the main barriers to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6) by 2030. In South and Central Asia, India is found to practise open defecation at a high rate (16%) compared to both the regional average (12%) and the global average (6%).

Uttarakhand’s classification of rivers to set up stone crushers violates NGT Act

Poor access to adequate and good quality sanitation and hygiene facilities can give rise to a number of water borne diseases in populations.

Ramsar has designated two more wetlands in India, bringing the total to 49

A UN report predicts that 50 percent of India’s population will be living in urban areas by 2030.

A UNICEF-WHO Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report on drinking water and sanitation indicates that billions of people will lack access safely managed household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services in 2030 unless the rate of progress towards meeting sustainable development goal (SDG) goal quadruples.

While it is known that women and girls experience considerable challenges than men and boys in accessing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources, there is minimal discussion on bathing spaces for women while the focus continues to be on toilet construction.

To fully leverage the health, well-being and environmental benefits of improved sani­tation access provision of safe, economical and sustainable emptying, transportation and treat­ment facilities for faecal waste become impera­tive.