India Advances Sanitation Journey From Open Defecation Free (ODF) to Safe, Inclusive Systems
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Institutions: Ministry of Jal Shakti | Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
India’s sanitation drive is entering a new phase, as the government highlights progress from basic access to sustainable sanitation systems. Rural areas have seen an extraordinary rise in ODF-Plus villages — 5.67 lakh villages, a 467 % growth since December 2022. Urban centres count 4,692 ODF cities, with large-scale toilet construction (household latrines at 108.6 % of target; public/community toilets at 125.4 % of target).
On the “World Toilet Day 2025”. Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) noted that urban sanitation is moving from ODF status to ODF++, emphasising safe sanitation systems and circular-economy practices. The theme “Sanitation: Collective Responsibility for Dignity and Planet” aligns with India’s launch of a year-long advocacy campaign “Toilet Paas Hai” & “Main Saaf Hi Achha Hoon”. Nearly 55 million urban residents have gained access to safely-managed sanitation facilities in the past two years.
The framework shifts the focus from ‘building toilets’ to ensuring functionality, safe faecal-sludge and sewage-management, inclusive design (gender-neutral, accessible, child-friendly), technology-enabled user experience and behaviour change. The co-ordination with schemes such as Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U 2.0) and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT 2.0) indicates a multi-mission convergence for urban sanitation services.
Initiatives announced on the World Toilet Day 2025 underscore that India is moving from eliminating open defecation to universal safe sanitation, a key pillar of SDG 6. The emphasis on inclusive, resilient infrastructure (SDG 11) signals the government’s recognition that sanitation is as much about service quality, user dignity, and system sustainability as it is about toilets. For policy-makers, this means designing cities and rural areas where toilets are always functional, managed, and integrated into sewage/waste systems — not just constructed.
What is ODF++ status? → ODF++ refers to cities or areas that have moved beyond Open Defecation Free (ODF) designation to having fully functional toilets, safe faecal-sludge management, sewage-treatment capacity, and inclusive public-toilet design, thereby ensuring safe sanitation for all.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How will Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and rural governance structures ensure that the shift from access to safe sanitation is backed by real-time monitoring, inclusive design standards, behaviour-change programmes and sustainable operations — especially in small towns and underserved rural clusters?
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Waste to Wellness: India’s Sanitation Journey | World Toilet Day 2025