Following in the footsteps of Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, Uttarakhand and Haryana have also achieved the Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status. It was declared on Thursday.
With this, nationally, the sanitation coverage has increased from 42 per cent to over 64 per cent in just two and a half years since the launch of Swachch Bharat Mission (SBM), said Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary for Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
He said that four more States are expected to achieve the ODF status by March next year.
"We are anticipating four more states including Gujarat and Punjab to achieve the ODF target in this financial year. About 113,000 villages across the country had become ODF as per the latest figure.
"There has been significant development in last six months as about 60 districts across the country have been declared ODF. Earlier, the number was just five or six. We still have challenging job to bring all villages under ODF status," Iyer added. Government data for 2011 census shows there are above 6,40,000 villages in India.
Iyer said that the villages with ODF tags will be given priority during implementation of important schemes. "As per the government policy, centrally sponsored schemes such as payjal (yojana) will be implemented in ODF villages or town on priority basis," added Iyer.