WHO & UNICEF Report ranks India worst in eradicating open defecation

India's poor sanitation facilities have a direct correlation with stunting in children

According to a recent report titled “Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update and MDG Assessment” by World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, 1 in 3 people in the world lack sanitaiton facilities. However, access to drinking water has improved with 91% of the global population gaining access to clean drinking water. The poor sanitation progress is attributed to indequate investments in behaviour change campaigns. India has been able to reduce open defecation only by 31%. Also, the data has shown a direct correlation of open defecation to stunting and chronic malnutrition in children.

Repeat of 2013 flash floods in Uttarakhand, but on a small scale 

The advent of this year's monsoon has brought back memories of flash floods and landslides of 2013 in Uttarakhand, though at a small scale. Nearly 9,000 pilgrims -- 5,000 on the Hemkund Sahib route and 3,000 at Badrinath -- were stranded for two days due to rains in the region. Also, the landslides have caused the Kedarnath shrine and the Hemkund Sahib to shut down. Experts have held unregulated development responsible for the repeated calamities in the state. 

The Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 is out

The Centre has released the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011. This is the first caste census done in Independent India; an earlier one was done in 1932.  The census has shown signs of poverty among 49% of rural households by using seven indicators of rural deprivation that includes households deprived on one or more counts, landless households engaged in manual labour, female-headed households with no adult working male member, households without a working adult, and all SC/ ST households.  

Rivers at interstate borders have poor water quality: CPCB

Per a CPCB report, the water quality of 40 important rivers at interstate borders are found to be poor. The assessment which was done at 83 locations across 40 rivers from 2005- 2013 shows that the water at 51 locations was polluted with respect to Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), while water was in poor quality due to Dissolved Oxygen (DO) at 57 locations. Overall, 16 locations were identified as polluted in terms of BOD, DO, total dissolved solids and total coliforms.

MP sets a World Record for hand washing

Last year on Global Handwashing Day (October 15, 2014) 12,76,425 students in Madhya Pradesh had participated in an event held at 13,196 different locations across 51 districts. The effort has earned the state an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. Not only this but the state has also beaten the earlier world record of 7,40,870 students that was jointly created by three countries -- Argentina, Peru and Mexico in 2011.

This is a roundup of important news from June 30 - July 6, 2015. Also read last week's policy matters updates.