A bridge too far: an analysis of WASH KAP study from four Indian states

摘要

In India though there has been improved WASH coverage in the last decade but yet only 35% of thepopulation have access to drinking water within the premises and 600 million people continue to defecatein open. To understand challenges and analyze gaps in the knowledge and practices a facility survey andKAP study was conducted in one urban and three rural locations across four Indian states. The findingsindicate that only 18% of the population have access to safe drinking water within premises, 86% of thepopulation still practice open defecation and underlying causes are functional, physical and attitudinalbarriers. Though there is improved awareness on key hygiene indicators, a huge gap remains in actualpractices. A key finding indicates that 86 % of respondents are willing to construct toilet withinhouseholds, which means people are willing to adopt improved practices if an enabling environment andrequired knowledge are ensured.