India has more mobile telephones than toilets: UN report

A finding that puts people in a dilemma-whether to celebrate the success of the Indian telecom industry or pity the plight of the poor-reveals that India has more mobile phones than toilets.

A report recently issued by the United Nations says more people in India, the world's second most crowded country, has access to a mobile phone than to a toilet.

According to a new UN study on how to cut the number of people with inadequate sanitation, India had some 545 mn cell phones, enough to serve about 45% of the population, but only about 366 mn people or 31% of the population had access to improved sanitation in 2008.

"It is an irony to think that in India, a country now wealthy enough that roughly half of the people own phones, about half cannot afford the basic necessity and dignity of a toilet," said Zafar Adeel, director, United Nations University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health (IWEH).

Interestingly, the Indian telecom industry is out-pacing many other segments. India on an average adds over 15 mn mobile subscribers every month. The next phase of cellular growth is coming from the rural heartland, where a majority of the people do not have access to a basic amenity like sanitation.

Lack of sanitation facilities is not only a rural problem, even many living in the cities do not have access to these facilities. It is noteworthy that the cellular penetration in some of the cities has surpassed 100% mark.

While telecom companies in India have been promising to change the lives of people with services like m-health, m-education, etc, with the help of high-speed technologies like 3G and WiMax, sadly there is no concept such as m-sanitation as of now. The telecom success story deserves to be lauded, at the same time the government's failure to provide its people the basic necessities for a dignified living can not be overlooked as well.

heenaj@cybermedia.co.in