97.5% families in cities used 'improved drinking water' in Jul-Dec 2018: Report

New Delhi: As many as 94.5 per cent families in rural areas and 97.5 per cent in cities used 'improved drinking water' from sources including tube wells, tankers and piped supply during July-December 2018, showed a National Statistical Office (NSO) survey report on Saturday.

The NSO, a wing of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, has conducted a survey on drinking water, sanitation, hygiene and housing condition as a part of 76th round (July December 2018) of National Sample Survey (NSS).

According to the study, about 94.5 per cent families in villages and about 97.4 per cent in cities used improved source of drinking water viz. bottled water, piped water into dwelling, piped water to yard/plot, piped water from neighbour, public tap/standpipe, tube well, hand pump, protected well, public tanker truck, private tanker truck, protected spring and rainwater collection.

It showed that the major source of drinking water was hand pumps for the households in the rural areas and piped water into dwelling in the urban areas.

About 42.9 per cent families in rural areas used hand pump as principal source of drinking water and about 40.9 per cent in cities used piped water into dwelling as the principal source of drinking water.

About 48.6 per cent families in villages and about 57.5 per cent in cities had exclusive access to principal source of drinking water.

It also said that about 87.6 per cent families in villages and about 90.9 per cent in cities had sufficient drinking water throughout the year from principal source.

About 58.2 per cent families in villages and about 80.7 per cent in cities had drinking water facilities within the household premises.

About 51.4 per cent families rural and about 72 per cent in the urban areas used improved source of drinking water, sufficiently available throughout the year located in the premises.

In terms of bathroom and sanitation facility, the report showed that about 50.3 per cent families in villages and about 75 per cent in cities had exclusive access to bathroom.

About 56.6 per cent families in villages and about 91.2 per cent in cities had access to bathroom.

Among the households which had access to bathroom, about 48.4 per cent villages and about 74.8 per cent in the urban areas used bathroom attached to the dwelling unit.

The survey also showed that about 71.3 per cent families in villages and about 96.2 per cent cities had access to latrine.

It may be noted that there may be respondent bias in the reporting of access to latrine as question on benefits received by families from government schemes was asked prior to the question on access of households to latrine, it added.

The major type of latrine used by the households was flush/pour-flush to septic tank in both rural and urban areas.

About 50.9 per cent families in villages in rural and 48.9 per cent in urban areas used flush/pour-flush to septic tank type of latrine.

Among the households which had access to latrine, about 94.7 per cent of the males and 95.7 per cent of the females in villages used latrine regularly while about 98 per cent of the males and 98.1 per cent of the females in cities used latrine regularly.

About 3.5 per cent of family members in villages and about 1.7 per cent in cities never used latrine. About 4.5 per cent in villages and 2.1 per cent in cities reported that water was not available in or around the latrine used.