Swachh Bharat Push Takes 5.69 Lakh Villages to ODF Plus Status with 12.22 Crore Rural Toilets

NEW DELHI: Over 12.22 crore individual toilets have been built in rural households across India, and 98,273 biogas plants have been constructed as of September 17, 2026, bringing 5.69 lakh villages nationwide into the ODF (open defecation free) Plus category under the Swachh Bharat campaign, according to a government factsheet released on Sunday. 

An ODF Plus village not only sustains ODF status but also effectively manages solid and liquid waste, while maintaining visual cleanliness. Along with sustaining ODF Plus village status, these villages are classified into three progressive stages: Aspiring, Rising and Model. Aspiring villages manage either solid or liquid waste. Rising villages manage both solid and liquid waste. Model villages, in addition to managing both waste streams, also demonstrate visual cleanliness and display ODF Plus messaging.

More than 10.28 crore toilets were constructed across 36 states and union territories between 2014 and 2019. Rural India was subsequently declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) in 2019. This achievement transformed the nature of India's sanitation landscape. The focus shifted from an emphasis on household toilet access to a broader concern with the sustainability of sanitation practices and the management of waste at the village level. (IANS)

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