Beyond Toilets: How India Is Redefining Cleanliness and Dignity

Every year, November 19 marks World Toilet Day, a United Nations initiative that extends well beyond the bathroom. It emphasises dignity, health, gender equality, and sustainability. For India, this day has particular significance. Over the past decade, the country has transformed sanitation from a long-ignored challenge into a remarkable success story. This movement has not only improved infrastructure but also shifted mindsets.

From Taboo to Transformation

For generations, open defecation was a harsh reality in India. It contaminated water, spread disease, and deprived millions of dignity—particularly women and girls, who faced daily safety risks and shame.

The change began in 2014 with the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Initially a government initiative, it quickly evolved into a social revolution. With strong political support, community engagement, and a focus on behavior change, India constructed over 100 million toilets in just five years.

By 2019, the country proudly declared itself Open Defecation Free (ODF)—a milestone that reshaped global perceptions of public health and governance.

The next phase, SBM–Grameen 2.0, emphasises sustainability—ensuring that toilets remain functional, waste is treated safely, and sanitation becomes an integral part of daily life.

Beyond Access: The 2025 Reality

As the world approaches 2030, the deadline for achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation for All), the challenges are evolving.

It’s no longer solely about building toilets. The focus has shifted to developing safe, sustainable sanitation systems—ensuring responsible waste treatment, conserving water, and integrating circular-economy principles.
India has now interconnected its Jal Jeevan Mission and SBM 2.0. Together, they advocate for fecal sludge treatment management (FSM), greywater recycling, and solid waste management, creating a comprehensive sanitation chain—from toilet to treatment to reuse.

Sanitation today encompasses not just infrastructure but also social issues. It forms an ecosystem that links health, the environment, and economic well-being.

Urban Sanitation: The Next Frontier

While rural India has made notable improvements, urban sanitation presents more complex challenges.

Rapid urbanisation, informal settlements, and deteriorating drainage systems continue to create substantial obstacles for city administrators. Many urban households still depend on unsafe disposal methods or lack sewer connections entirely.

However, some cities are changing this narrative. Indore, Mysuru, and Pune have pioneered decentralised waste treatment, public-private partnerships, and intelligent monitoring systems. Indore successfully treats 100% of its faecal sludge—a model now being replicated nationwide.

Technology is becoming a key ally in sanitation efforts. From IoT-enabled smart toilets to biogas generation plants, innovation drives India’s next wave of sanitation improvements. Yet, the fundamental challenge remains equity—ensuring that access to faecal sludge treatment is available to the urban poor and residents of informal settlements.

Gender and Dignity

World Toilet Day is also about making sure that men and women are treated equally.

For millions of Indian women and girls, a safe toilet represents more than just convenience; it embodies dignity, privacy, and safety.

According to UNICEF data, improved school sanitation has led to a nearly 15% reduction in dropout rates among adolescent girls. Women's self-help groups have led local sanitation efforts in many villages by building toilets, maintaining their cleanliness, and changing the way people perceive sanitation.

However, achieving real change requires more than just infrastructure. It necessitates behavioural transformation—a gradual and consistent shift in everyday habits.

This year’s global theme, “Accelerating Change through Behaviour, Behavioural Transformation—aBehavior,” resonates deeply. Toilets alone do not ensure health; consistent usage and community ownership are essential.

Health and Economy: The Ripple Effect

Adequate sanitation saves lives and money.

The World Health Organisation states that every rupee invested in sanitation can yield up to ₹5 in productivity and healthcare savings.

India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) supports this: regions with better sanitation and access to clean water report lower rates of diarrhoea and child stunting.

Sanitation also drives economic growth. Cleaner cities attract tourism, lower healthcare costs, and enhance workforce productivity. For a nation striving for a $5 trillion economy, clean sanitation is not a luxury; it is a necessity.

Every year, November 19 marks World Toilet Day, a United Nations initiative that extends well beyond the bathroom. (Image:Freepik)

Innovation and Decentralisation

Technology and decentralisation will shape the next chapter of India's sanitation narrative.

Innovators and startups are creating bio-digesters that convert waste into biogas or fertiliser, AI tools that monitor school toilet usage, and off-grid treatment systems for small communities.

These innovations reflect a decentralisation trend like that seen in finance. Just as blockchain platforms like Velar establish transparent, community-led systems without central intermediaries, sanitation is also evolving toward locally managed, transparent ecosystems.

When communities and municipalities share responsibility, accountability is reinforced, leading to greater sustainability.

Sanitation and Climate Resilience

In 2025, the climate aspect is impossible to ignore.

Extreme weather events—from floods to droughts—disrupt wastewater systems. Meanwhile, untreated waste emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

India’s push for biogas recovery, energy-efficient treatment, and wastewater reuse represents a strategic approach that combines environmental and economic benefits. Sanitation is no longer seen merely as a cost but as an opportunity for green jobs, clean energy, and resource recovery.

The World Bank estimates that India’s sanitation economy could surpass $60 billion by 2030. This positions sanitation as one of the most promising green sectors of the decade.

Community Ownership: The Soul of Change

If there’s one key takeaway from India’s sanitation revolution, it’s this: community ownership sustains progress.
Infrastructure built without local participation often fails quickly. However, when people take responsibility, change endures.

In Tamil Nadu’s Thandavankulam, villagers collectively manage their greywater through a natural filtration pond. Women-led committees in Odisha are responsible for maintaining and ensuring the functionality of toilets. These local success stories underscore a fundamental truth: the most effective sanitation systems are those owned and operated by their users.

Mahatma Gandhi’s words resonate: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Whether in hygiene or finance, decentralisation and self-governance remain the foundations of long-term transformation.

The Road Ahead: From Access to Equity

India’s sanitation journey is one of the greatest public health successes in modern history. Yet, the work is far from complete.

The next chapter must prioritise quality over quantity, safe management over mere access, and equity over averages. Sanitation must be recognised not only as a privilege but also as a fundamental human right—and a catalyst for economic growth.

Every toilet built, every drain maintained, and every litre of wastewater treated brings India closer to a healthier, more inclusive future.
On this World Toilet Day, India stands at a crossroads—between what it has achieved and what it must sustain.

“The toilet is not just a physical structure, but a symbol of dignity and opportunity.” – Narendra Modi.

 

 

(Note: Dr (Prof) Sadhana Kala is a USA-trained robotic & laparoscopic surgeon, Uppsala University, Sweden, trained fertility specialist, Icon Endoscopic Surgeon of North India, and National Icon Endoscopic Surgeon of India. She is rated as India's Best Gynecologist by Google.)

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.)