Government: Sanitation coverage up to 65.07% till July

New Delhi, July 20 (SURYAA): The government on Thursday said that the Swachh Bharat Mission has picked up great momentum, with the sanitation coverage increasing from 41.80 per cent in October 2014 to 65.07 per cent in July 2017, and is hopeful of achieving its target by October 2019.

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Chandappa Jigjinagi said: "The sanitation coverage, which was 41.80 per cent on October 2, 2014, has increased to 65.07 per cent on July 17, 2017."

He said that a total of 2,09,099 villages, 95,521 gram panchayats, 1,411 blocks and 149 districts had been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) as of July 2017.

In addition, five states, namely Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand and Haryana, have also been declared ODF.

Giving the comparative figures, the minister said that as against the expected outcome of 50 lakh individual latrines for the year 2014-15, 58,54,987 latrines were constructed -- an achievement of 117 per cent of the target. 

During 2015-16, 127.41 lakh toilets were constructed against the expected outcome of 120 lakh. 

For the year 2016-17, against the expected outcome of 1.5 crore individual latrines, 219.24 lakh latrines (146 per cent) were constructed. 

For the year 2017-18, against the expected outcome of 1.7 crore individual latrines, 45,19,942 latrines (27 per cent) have been constructed as of July 2017.