No bathrooms? But have mobile phones?

Almost half of the country's population does not have a bathroom in their homes and they defecate in the open space but they have a mobile phone.

As per the Census 2011 reports on household amenities, houses and assets that was released yesterday, about 46.9% of the Indian households that accounts to 24.66 crores have the bathroom facility meaning that the other 49.8% go for the open defecation practice. About 3.2% use the public toilets.

However, the shocking news is that 63.2% of the households have a telephone of which 53.2% have a mobile phone. The tele density is found to be highest in Lakshadeep accounting to 93.6% having a telephone. This is followed by Delhi with 90.8% and Chadigarh, Union Territory with 89.2%.

This indicates the growth of mobile technology even in the rural parts of the country but still the open defecation is a major concern as it is an unhygienic practice. The reasons behind it are traditional and cultural ones and also the lack of education.

Read in Malayalam