(Image used for representation only)

NEW DELHI: In one-fourth of nearly two lakh villages, which have been declared open defecation free (ODF), all houses don’t have toilets, according to the integrated data that Centre maintains. Finding this difference, the drinking water and sanitation ministry has asked states to update the data in the system so that there is no mismatch.

Villages can become open defecation free only when each household has individual latrine. The government has given top priority to end open defecation across the country by October 2019 as a part of its flagship Swachh Bharat initiative .

In a recent communication to states, the sanitation ministry has said that 33% of the total 6,05,828 villages have been declared as ODF. “Out of the 2,00,959 villages, 52,593 villages do not have 100% coverage reflecting on the IMIS ( Integrated Management Information System )…you are requested to instruct district officials to ensure entries of 100% coverage in ODF villages in IMIS,” the ministry’s letter said. The states have been asked to complete this work before this month end.

IMIS allows any management team undertaking a particular task to create one system for effective and efficient delivery of the objective.

The detailed statement, which the ministry has shared with the state governments based on the IMIS data, mentions that nearly 41 lakh households in the 52,593 identified villages don’t have individual latrines. Madhya Pradesh tops the list with 9.7 lakh households not having latrines as per IMIS data. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana rank second, third, fourth and fifth respectively on this account.

“The states need to update the data and detail. The government data must match with the ground reality. Panchayats and social leaders are taking huge interest to push toilet construction and their use, which is resulting in more and more villages become open defecation free,” a Central government official said.

