How serious are people regarding hygiene and sanitation?

Sanitation and hygiene were and are two of the biggest concerns in India. Hygiene refers to personal practices such as washing hands, trimming hair and nails regularly, taking a bath regularly, and so on. Sanitation refers to public health conditions such as drinking clean water, effective disposal of solid and liquid waste, and so on.

More than 700 million people are forced to defecate in the open because they have no access to toilets at home. Open defecation and unsafe drinking water are major causes of preventable diseases like diarrhea, cholera, dehydration, and so on. Even many schools, especially in villages, lack basic toilet facilities.

Basic facilities such as the construction of toilets and using them, washing hands after using the toilets, washing hands before cooking and eating food, segregation, and proper disposal of solid and liquid wastes, can significantly improve health, well-being, and thereby economic productivity. More than 80% of all diseases can be prevented by using safe water and following hygiene and sanitation practices.

According to a study, the majority of people knew that washing their hands with soap was hygienic but still used soil or leaves to wash their hands after defecation. Furthermore, people preferred filtered or boiled water, while most of them still used public taps for water procurement. The government is doing its bit by constructing toilets and providing clean drinking water, but about 44% of the population continues to defecate in the open.

Although many are aware of hygiene and sanitation, they seldom practice what they know. This shows pure ignorance. There seems to be a gap between the facilities provided and their optimal use.