Despite significant progress in improving sanitation across Sri Lanka, over 13,000 families continue to defecate in open areas, the Department of Census and Statistics revealed in its 2024 Population and Housing Census.
The census report shows that while 92.2% of the country’s 6.1 million households now have private toilet facilities, and 5.8% share toilets with other families, 0.2% still lack access to any toilet.
Colombo District records the highest number of families relying on public toilets, with 4,518 households, while Nuwara Eliya has the highest rate of shared toilet use at 5.2%, highlighting persistent sanitation challenges, particularly in estate areas.
Public health experts have called on authorities to intensify rural sanitation initiatives and ensure safe, hygienic toilet access for all households.
They stressed that improving sanitation is essential not only for public health but also for reducing environmental contamination and enhancing overall quality of life.
The report underscores that while Sri Lanka has made major strides in sanitation, targeted interventions are still needed to eliminate open defecation and improve shared and public toilet facilities across the island.
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