70 years after freedom, village still without loos

BAHATPUR/SOUTH KAMRUP: For Dilip Rabha and his family, Independence Day on Monday was like any other day. A resident of Bahatpur, a small hamlet 60 km away from the city, Rabha again thought about building a toilet but put it off because of the high cost involved.
On a day PM Narendra Modi spoke extensively on the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Bahatpur had little to cheer about.The mission, along with proper roads, basic infrastructure and primary health centres, is yet to reach it.
The hamlet, located amid rolling green hills with the Kulsi river flowing nearby, is picturesque. The riverbank, however, is filthy with residents defecating there regularly.
Assam's sanitation coverage in 2015-2016 was 54% but Bahatpur does not feature on the hygiene map.
"My wife and I thought of building a pucca toilet but the cost made us think twice. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is something we see on TV but it's yet to reach us," said Rabha who makes his living as a farmer of paddy and areca nuts.
Bahatpur is virtually impossible to reach with treacherous roads causing heavy damage to cars. With no primary health centres nearby, residents have to travel to Chaygaon, almost 15 km away, for medical aid.
"There are around 80 households in Bahatpur. I don't know how many have pucca toilets. Spending close to Rs 1 lakh to build one is next to impossible," added Rabha.
From 2013-14 to 2015-16, there has been a 14% increase in sanitation coverage of districts like Nalbari, Morrigaon, Dibrugarh and Chirang, among others. But districts like Tinsukia, Bongaigaon, Udalguri, Lakhimpur, Barpeta and others are lagging behind.
According to the 2011 census, more than 35.1% households in the state didn't have pucca toilets.