India rural sanitation reaches 12.22 crore household toilet milestone

India’s rural sanitation program has reached a significant milestone, with the construction of over 12.22 crore individual household toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G). Since the mission's launch in 2014, rural sanitation coverage has expanded from an estimated 39 per cent to a status where rural India was declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) in 2019.

Under the second phase of the mission, the focus has transitioned from basic infrastructure to sustainable sanitation and waste management. As of September 2026, 5.69 lakh villages have achieved ODF Plus status. This category requires villages to not only maintain ODF status but also effectively manage solid and liquid waste.

ODF Plus villages are categorized into three progressive stages: Aspiring villages manage either solid or liquid waste; Rising villages manage both; and Model villages manage both waste streams while also maintaining visual cleanliness and community-level sanitation messaging. Additionally, 98,273 biogas plants have been constructed as part of these efforts.