New Delhi, Nov 10 (PTI) The government has approved the National Urban Sanitation Policy which aims to make sanitation facilities universally available in urban areas.
The policy specially focuses on hygienic and affordable sanitation facilities for the urban poor and women and will ensure improved cleanliness in cities and towns, said a senior Urban Development Ministry official.
The goals include awareness generation and behavioural change, elimination of open defecation, integrated city-wide sanitation, safe disposal and proper operation and maintenance of all sanitary installations.
According to 2001 census, more than 12 million urban households do not have access to latrines and defecate in the open and 12.47 million urban households do not have access to drainage network, leading to a major environmental and public health hazard in the country.
Government will help formulating and implementing a strategy on capacity building and training to support states to build their personnel capacities and organisational systems for delivery of sanitation services, said the official.
