2 yrs to Swachh Bharat deadline, 62% districts not open defecation free

Of the 29 states and seven union territories, tourism hub Goa has fared the worst since SBM began three years ago

With less than two years remaining until the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) deadline, 62.5%, or 400 of India’s 640 districts are yet to be declared open-defecation free (ODF), according to the latest data from the ministry of drinking water and sanitation.

Of the 29 states and seven union territories, tourism hub Goa, India’s smallest state by size, has fared the worst since SBM began three years ago. Both its districts, North Goa and South Goa, report the prevalence of open defecation, the data, updated up to December 1, 2017, show.