Gujarat constructs 19.7 lakh toilets for individual households

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat government has so far constructed 19.71 lakh toilets for individual households against the target of 33 lakh toilets by 2019 set under the Swachh Bharat Mission, a senior official said today.

"As against the target of constructing 33 lakh toilets for individual household (till 2019), we have constructed 19.71 lakh toilets so far," Principal Secretary of Rural Development department Jayanti Ravi said.

She was speaking at the CSR Conclave of industry body Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised here.

State and Central governments under the flagship programme provide a financial support of Rs 12,000 to individual households from BPL and APL families, especially those belonging to SC/ST families, farmless labourers, daily wage earners, to construct toilets at home.

While addressing, she said creating an 'open-defecation free' society is not only a brick and mortar concept.

"We will actually have to bring about change in people's behaviour. And in direction, we have come a long way. Today the discourse in villages is not about whether to have a toilet or not, but how do I build it, and who can facilitate it," she said.

Ravi asked corporates to adopt talukas in order to participate in government's open-defecation mission by getting community mobilised and bringing about behavioural change.