India has tried every rule in the book to improve sanitation conditions in the country, but a new scheme it is testing might end up being the most effective.
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In Barmer, a district in western Indian state Jaipur, the local government is offering every family Rs 2500 ($37) per month should they make a habit of using toilets. The scheme is being offered in two villages of Baytu and Gida.
The move, which is in line with government’s public cleanliness initiative 'Swachh Bharat' (Clean India), aims to encourage people to stop defecating in open.
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Though people across the country are becoming increasingly aware of sanitation issues and forcing others to maintain this basic hygiene as well, more than half of India's rural population still defecates in open, according to a 2015 report. The same report found that only 45.3 percent of them had access to a toilet, compared to urban areas where things look far better at 88.8 percent.
The government as well as several private companies have come forward to improve the sanitation conditions in the country. More toilets are being installed at public places. Google last year launched a new feature in Google Maps that allows Indians to quickly locate the nearest public restroom.
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