Here’s a news that claims that Himachal is open-defecation free. What a big lie. It’s a big eyewash. Don’t believe this. Who actually approves these announcements? They have no clue about on-ground realities.

A recent trip to my village:
1. The poor still don’t have toilets.
2. Some do have toilets but don’t use them. They use them for store purposes.
3. There are people who hire labour – ranging from 1 to often 10 people, to maintain their farms and orchards. These people have toilets, but don’t allow their labour to use them. The labour defecate in the open.

The drainage and seeping of water from septic tanks into traditional water sources like baoli etc making water unfit for human/animal consumption though is a separate issue. But no one is talking about it, forget focusing.