NHRC seeks reports from Centre, states on open defecation issue

LUCKNOW: The National Human Rights Commission has sought reports from the secretary, union ministry of drinking water and sanitation and chief secretaries of all states and union territories within four weeks on the issue of defecation in open and lack of toilets.

The Commission took sou motu cognizance of a survey published in various newspapers stating that around 30% women in the rural areas faced sexual assault when they had gone out for toilet. The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raised a serious issue of violation of human rights.

The Commission also took cognizance of a media report quoting the 2011 census that half of India went for toilet in open. It states that 77% population in Jharkhand and Odisha and 76% in Bihar and 64% in Uttar Pradesh did not have toilet in their houses. More than 62 crore people in India defecated in open.

The UPA government, in October, 2013, accepted that lack of toilets in houses was one of the main reasons for increasing number of incidents of rape.

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