PM Modi had on October 2, 2014, picked up a broom to launch the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and has exhorted people to take part in it from time to time.

In a major boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyan scheme, 77 per cent of houses in village areas have toilets. Of those 77 percent households, over 93 percent have shunned the habit of open defecation and started using toilets. This was revealed in the annual rural sanitation survey NARSS under the World Bank. The survey has also confirmed that 96 per cent of villages which were given Open Defecation Free (ODF) tag by respective districts and states authorities concerned, according to Times of India report. An independent agency had conducted the survey between mid-November 2017 and mid-March 2018.

The survey shows 70 percent of villages have a minimal litter. Since October 2, 2014, over 6.6 crore household toilets were built. The date obtained from Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin website shows 3,40,370 villages have been given ODF status. There are 341 open defecation free districts. The government has also said that 30 crore people have stopped defecating in open since October 2014.

The agency had submitted survey results to Expert Working Group which has NITI Aayog, World Bank, UNICEF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, India Sanitation Coalition and Sulabh International etc.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that India is expected to be open defecation free by October 2019. Singh had said that to further boost cleanliness, the central government was implementing an Rs 12,000-crore action plan through 76 ministries and departments.

PM Modi had on October 2, 2014, picked up a broom to launch the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and has exhorted people to take part in it from time to time. PM Modi had also written personalised letters to iconic celebrities, prominent industrialists, sports-persons, film stars, inter-faith leaders and other noted personalities to promote the initiative.