India's Sanitation System: A Concealed Awful Reality
India's Sanitation System: A Concealed Awful Reality
Sanitation and hygiene bear a major impact on an individual’s health. Although the country has witnessed massive resources being invested to improve sanitation in recent years, it is clearly not enough. Owing to limited access to toilets and clean water, the socio-economic losses caused by waterborne diseases are much higher in India than the average level across the globe. VASTRA - one of the credible water and sanitation NGOs in Mumbai, India - aims to bring some positive change to this harsh reality through its sincere efforts:
Here Are Some Facts That You Need To Know With Respect To Sanitation In India:
1. Pollution In River Ganga
The river Ganga is the source of water for approximately 400 million people residing in neighbouring locations. But it is horrifying to know that cities directly expel more than three-fourths of untreated sewage into the river. The government is taking some required steps in the right direction to make the river pollution-free, but there is still a long way to go.
2. Rampancy Of Water Borne Diseases
Due to factors like open defecation, waterborne diseases are rampant in the country. About 99 million individuals lack access to clean and safe water, and it is said that almost 500 children below the age of five lose their lives everyday in the nation due to diseases like diarrhoea. A reliable NGO for health among other institutions works to provide the underprivileged with better access to healthcare facilities so that they can avail quality treatment on contracting such diseases.
3. The Problem Of Open Defecation
The reason for the problem of open defecation in India is mainly the absence or lack of hygienic toilets. But even though 92 million new toilets have been constructed with maximum coverage in rural areas over the past decade, many people living in such areas still prefer to defecate in the open in spite of it because of societal restraints or their own orthodox beliefs.
4. The Issues Faced By Women
The non-availability of private and hygienic toilets puts women at a greater risk of becoming victims of sexual assualt. Around 300 million Indian women do not have access to safe washrooms and even if they do, it is limited. This also makes females in India more vulnerable to several health concerns.
5. Incomplete Water Supply Network
The network of water supply in the nation is not complete in both villages and cities, despite water being the foundation of the sanitation system. Poor water management in urban areas increases the chances of water shortage, whereas many villages use unsafe underground water everyday.
6. Impact On Children’s Education
In rural areas with water scarcity, many people are burdened with the responsibility of walking long distances daily to fetch water. A lot of village children tend to skip school to perform this task in order to support their families, which impedes their chances of receiving education.
Therefore, the above facts indicate that there is much more to be done to improve sanitation in India. If you search online for water and sanitation NGO nearby me,” VASTRA is the most trusted name that you’ll come across.
