VARANASI: A decade to the launch of Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) and the district is still lagging behind in providing proper sanitation. The practice of open defecation is still common, particularly in rural areas.

The TSC initiated in 1999 is a comprehensive programme to ensure sanitation facilities in rural areas with broader goal to eradicate the practice of open defecation. The key intervention areas include individual household latrines (IHHL), school sanitation and hygiene education (SSHE), community sanitary complex, and Anganwadi toilets. According to the rural household survey under BPL census 2002, open defecation was found in 2,35,300 rural households in the district.

According to report, 'A Decade Of Total Sanitation Campaign Rapid Assessment Of Processes And Outcomes', prepared under the Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP) by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, reveals that Varanasi had 56% household sanitation coverage by March 2010. During this period, a budget of Rs 33 crore was sanction to the district, out of which a fund of Rs 17 crore (51%) could be spent. However, Varanasi scored average ranking (47) among performance benchmarking districts of the country. Read More

(Source: The Times of India)