Status of drinking water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene in West Bengal: evidence from the National Family Health Survey of India (NFHS), 2019–2021

Abstract

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation are essential fundamental rights for every citizen of a country. It is an important indicator of quality of life. Inadequate access to WASH services harms children under five and adolescent girls. The study examines the status of WASH services in West Bengal. A comprehensive assessment of WASH services was conducted using data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey. Data were statistically analyzed using Stata V. 14.1 software. A multivariate ordinal logistic regression model was applied to examine the association between experimental and explanatory variables. Furthermore, adjusted odds ratios, significance levels, and confidence intervals were provided for each dummy variable. The study found that only 33.69% of households in West Bengal have access to improved sources of drinking water. Moreover, only 74.35% of households have access to hygienic sanitation facilities within their premises, while 14.60% still practice open defecation. However, Urban, pucca, and non-nuclear households have better access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. The study also reported that drainage facilities are lacking in the state. Finally, the study recommends some policy measures to improve the access of WASH services in the state.

A district-level geospatial analysis of the availability of improved water and sanitation among tribal households in India

“…Therefore, sanitation access corresponds to our social and economic hierarchy (Bhagat 2014). Again, kachha tribal households have lower access to improved water and sanitation facilities, consistent with an earlier study that found semi-pucca and pucca households were more likely to have improved water sources (Roy et al 2023). The reason for this could be that pucca houses (improved houses made with cement and bricks) have better household environment conditions than kachha houses (houses made with poor quality materials for floor, roof, and wall) and that pucca households have better toilet facilities than kachha households (Coffey et al 2014).…”

The Protective Effects of Blue-Green Algae (Spirulina) Against Arsenic-Induced Differences in Lipid Panel and Hematological Parameters in Female Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

“…The toxicity is commonly associated with serious health disruptions [26]. Skin, lung, kidney, liver, and urinary bladder cancers are significant malignancies linked to these harmful consequences [1,27]. Numerous studies have consistently shown that exposure to arsenic, regardless of its specific inorganic salt form, leads to a significant elevation in the production of free radicals [28].…”

Seasonality of cholera in Kolkata and the influence of climate

“…An alternative explanation which has been suggested to explain cholera outbreaks in Central India [ 41 ] involves the role of rainfall runoff. In areas where open defecation remains an issue, including Kolkata [ 42 ], rainfall can wash human faecal matter from these open defecation sites into accessible water sources, leading to contamination and potential cholera outbreaks. However, this second explanation would suggest that modelled rainfall runoff would be a better predictor variable for cholera than rainfall, which was not supported in our study.…”